Three talking points as Barcelona lose 3-1 to Real Madrid

2. Some players not up to standards

Football is a team game but individual errors can cost a team and it certainly cost Barcelona in this game.

Sergio Busquets is one of the team captains but has increasingly not looked up to the task. He failed to track Federico Valverde in the first Real Madrid goal and was too sloppy with his passes, ending up in turnovers leading to counter attacks.

But it is not a new thing with Busquets. He has not been up to his usual standards for some time now. Koeman’s insistence in playing him is costing Barcelona and so is his stubbornness in freezing out the likes of Puig and Alena.

Philippe Coutinho appears to be Koeman’s project and like Barcelona, has struggled as each game has gone by. The Brazilian was very poor during the second half and missed what could have been the equalizer when his header hit the side netting.

Coutinho looks to be entering a similar malaise like he did the season before he was shipped out to Bayern Munich on loan. The Catalans could have sold him to Arsenal but stayed at the behest of the Dutch manager.

While the season has only started, there are worrying signs that some heavyweights no longer have the quality to at least be starters. Whether or not Koeman will have the character to bench them remains to be seen.