Barcelona delivered a message against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey last night that went beyond the result according to a report in Marca. Ronald Koeman‘s men showed that they’re a team on the rise, rearmed, competitive and prepared to fight. They didn’t have supporters in the stands, but they had the spirit to win 3-0 after losing 2-0 in the first leg to confirm their place in the final.
The Copa run has revitalised the team, giving strength to their La Liga campaign as well as inspiring hope they can pull off another remarkable remontada in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain. Success breeds success. Koeman, to his credit, has proven to be willing to take tough decisions, galvanising his team pulling into the final third of a long and difficult season. The Dutchman has given prominence to until-now untested youngsters like Pedri, Oscar Mingueza and Ronald Araujo, not to mention Ansu Fati. The switch to 3-5-2 was pivotal in earning back-to-back wins against Sevilla in La Liga and the Copa.
Off the pitch, the elections are now just days away. The lack of a president has served as a seriously destabilising factor within the club, not to mention the arrest of the former president Josep Maria Bartomeu this past week. This time next week Barcelona will know whether it’s to be Joan Laporta, Victor Font or Toni Freixa to lead them into this new decade. One thing for sure, however, is that they’re going in the right direction on the pitch.
