It feels like déjà vu all over again for Barcelona fans.
Another Champions League letdown that consisted of a red card, uneven officiating, and an inability to hit the back of the net.
First, some venting.
How Koke managed to not be sent off in the first half is beyond me. Atlético Madrid are a cynical team. Everyone and their grandma knows that. How a referee comes into this game without expecting that is malpractice.
We can be frustrated by Pau Cubarsí’s red card. For me, the laws of the game must
change in terms of defining a “clear goal scoring opportunity.”
We can debate whether Barcelona should have been given a penalty for Marc Pubill’s deliberate handball. Again, if we are to consistently call things by the “rule of the game,” then it must be given.
As Barcelona fans, however, we know that the spirit and integrity of the game matter most.
That’s why allowing Atleti, led by captain Koke in this one, to chop down their opponents on repeat without seeing yellow cards is a danger to the future of the sport.
Do we need to see Lamine Yamal or Pedri, or another superstar, get injured?
Do we want to reward the anti-football tactics of Diego Simeone?
Kudos to Barcelona for not giving up in this game. Down to ten men, they played their hearts out. They still managed 18 shots and 7 on target, compared to Atleti’s 5 shots and 3 on target.
Marcus Rashford was active, and one of the better players on the night, but he wasn’t clinical. Lamine Yamal was magical, and able to dribble past five defenders, but the final ball was missing. Barcelona weren’t perfect, but they deserved so much more from the game.
So is a comeback possible?
In the Champions League, it’s not over until it’s over. Still, the second leg will be complicated.
Atleti will do whatever it takes to make it not feel like a football match.
Their unprofessional playing surface will be there for the assist.
But most challenging of all will be that Barcelona will have to find a way without Raphinha. The Brazilian is their engine, and their heart and soul. And those qualities will be needed at the Metropolitano.
Hansi Flick will have a tough task ahead of himself when it comes to choosing a lineup.
He may need to try something surprising to shake things up.
The Barcelona players should be angry. The injustice of the game was on display at the Camp Nou. What they do with those emotions is what will determine the possibility of a comeback.
They have to dig deep and come out of the gates with determination, aggression, and confidence that anything is possible.
That doesn’t mean desperation. After all, they’re only down by two goals. It does mean having a sense of urgency.
No one is going to feel sorry for Barcelona.
Teams that win in the Champions League take what’s theirs, or they go home.
The biggest test of Hansi Flick’s Barcelona tenure awaits.
What version of Barcelona are we going to see?
