Barcelona do just enough to escape Butarque with a win.
Barcelona once again struggled on the road and needed a comeback to get past a relegation side in Leganes.
Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal score the team’s two goals as Ernesto Valverde’s side continues to leave doubts despite remaining top of the table.
Valverde went against conventional wisdom and set up with four attackers in Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, Lionel Messi, and Luis Suarez. A 4-2-3-1 formation that failed to work in the first-half.
Leganes went ahead early after a giveaway in midfield. Leganes’ Roque Mesa found Youseff En-Nesyri on the right who was given all kinds of space by time to Gerard Pique and curled the ball past a standing Ter Stegen.
Barcelona were able to muster close to nothing in the opening half.
More from Everything Barca
- FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
- FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
- Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid
Lionel Messi stepped up again and delivered a pass off a set piece that found Luis Suarez in the box and the Uruguayan headed the ball home. Arturo Vidal scored the winner late following a corner kick which bounced off a Leganes player. Finding himself only a few feet away from goal, all the Chilean needed to do was tap the ball home.
Barcelona completed the comeback but the collective performance mirrored every performance on the road. Valverde threw on every attacker he had and offered no other alternatives.
As a team, they look like they’ve never played together which explains why the majority of the goals they’ve scored recently have come off set pieces.
6 out of the last 7 goals scored by Barça have come from set pieces. [cat radio] pic.twitter.com/vyKzr2DO25
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) November 23, 2019
A win against the last place team should not have to be this difficult but under the current system, or lack thereof, the Catalans seem to struggle against any opponent put in front of them.
This win should not be used to taper over another mediocre display. The same mistakes week in, week out are still happening and made by the same players. Yet there remains a lack of accountability and that starts with the manager.
Watching Barcelona has become a chore walking away feeling underwhelmed by the results on the pitch.
This team is too talented to be playing the way they are but there are no signs that there will be an improvement. A mid-week match in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund is up next so expect similar talking points to come out of that game as well.