Everything Barca
Fansided

3 Things We Learned: Deportivo Alavés vs FC Barcelona

By Benjamin Barkworth

VITORIA-GASTEIZ, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 11: FC barcelona players observe one minute of silence in honor of Angola victims prior to start the La Liga match between Deportivo Alaves and FC Barcelona at Estadio de Mendizorroza on February 11, 2017 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
VITORIA-GASTEIZ, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 11: FC barcelona players observe one minute of silence in honor of Angola victims prior to start the La Liga match between Deportivo Alaves and FC Barcelona at Estadio de Mendizorroza on February 11, 2017 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Barcelona destroyed Alavés 6-0 in an excellent overall performance.

Aleix Vidal’s Bad Luck

The Spanish winger turned full-back was finally starting to challenge effectively for the right-back role. This game was another example of the danger he provides from his crosses and runs down the right side. However, he sustained a horrific injury late in the match which will set him back for a while. A crunching tackle from Theo Hernández caught Vidal in the wrong way, and he dislocated his ankle. It was a nasty injury, and comes at the worst possible time for the defender.

Prior to this injury, it was looking like Vidal could provide an excellent option for games against teams which like to sit deep because of the extra width and pace he provides in comparison to Sergi Roberto.

It has been confirmed by the club that he is out for the rest of the season. Everyone in the Barcelona community is wishing him the speediest of recoveries.


Revenge

More from Analysis

It looks like the Barcelona players didn’t take kindly to being embarrassed at Camp Nou earlier in the season. The usual signs of mercy that the Catalans show against weak opponents weren’t on show here today. Once they go three of four-nil up, they usually go down a few gears metaphorically. However, they didn’t do this today, and instead sent a warning ahead of the Copa del Rey final later in the season. They have done this in previous seasons as well. An example of this is last season when they destroyed Celta Vigo 6-1 after being humiliated in a 4-1 loss at the Estadio Municipal de Balaídos earlier in the season.

The key period was in the second half when they scored four goals in eight minutes. This, in a way, showed their complete dominance, and could be a way to give the Catalans the psychological advantage going in to the final later on in the year. The final will certainly be an entertaining spectacle due to the interesting backdrop it has already with Vidal’s horror injury adding to that, even if it was an unintended consequence of Hernández’s tackle.

Champions League Preparation

This was good preparation for their midweek game against PSG. They were 2-0 up at half-time, and were in full control of the match. This allowed Luis Enrique to take off key players: Sergio Busquets, Samuel Umtiti and André Gomes. It also allowed him to give a bit of game time, in a less than strenuous encounter, to players such as Andrés Iniesta, which is great because he has just come back from injury. The game against the French champions will be tough, so it’s an added bonus that Barcelona were able to breeze through the last thirty minutes of this match. It also gives the Catalans confidence going in to the next match due to the quality of their attacking performance. Vidal’s injury was the only event that stopped this match being the ideal preparation.