Barcelona limped to a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Tuesday night, in what was their second Champions League loss of the season. Hansi Flick’s side struggled throughout the 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge, with their task made significantly harder when Ronald Araujo was sent off before half time.
As per CBS Sports Golazo (via Sport), Marcus Rashford delivered his assessment of the match, which was his second of the season in England.
“It was a tough night. They are a very good, young and fresh team. With one player less it is easy to say that the game becomes difficult, but they also did the right thing with the ball: they took advantage of the extra man very well and made it difficult for us both to reach their area and to defend.
“Either we stayed compact and the rhythm of the game died, or we tried to jump to the pressure and leave spaces. If the opponent is fine with the ball, they take advantage of those spaces. Today it was very difficult to get in front of their goal. Even creating clear chances was an uphill struggle for us. They deserved the win and we have to give them credit.”
Rashford: Have to win remaining Champions League games
Rashford made it clear that he does not believe Barcelona need to make significant changes in the aftermath of the defeat to Chelsea, although he recognised that the Catalans must win their remaining league phase matches in order to give themselves the best chance of a top 8 finish in the standings.
“When you lose it’s always easy to say that everything has to change, but there were phases in which we were compact, as a team, and maintaining the idea. We cannot overthink this match. We know what went wrong.
“The decisive factor is clear. They deserved the victory. Now, for us, there is no longer any margin: in the remaining Champions League games we have to win. We have to improve and return to the level we have shown at other times of the season. The first opportunity is this weekend. We’re going to try to win that game.”
Marcus Rashford’s comment is unmistakably a fair assessment of the latest encounter between Chelsea FC and Barça.
It is my view or opinion that, if Ferran Torres had buried the ball at the back of the net in the first few minutes of the encounter and,or Roland Araujo had not bagged a second yellow card that saw him expelled from the match, the outcome of the match would have been different, no doubt.
Playing with ten (10) men against a very strong side and on the latter’s home ground or pitch, made the match very complicated for Barça, and swung the pendulum of the match in favour of Chelsea FC, the home side.
There is nothing unusual or scandalous about the loss or defeat, the fact that it didn’t happen at the new Spotify Camp Nou but at Stamford bridge, the home ground of Chelsea FC.
After all, earlier this season, Barça were beaten or perhaps 4-1 by a less fancied side in Sevilla CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Matches and losses such as those above are usually part of the game, and it is needless to fret about that.
The important thing for any serious club or team should do after such losses or loss is to move on, learn from their mistakes and, or weakness and strengths identified, and make concerted efforts to improve their individual and collective performance in the course of the season, which no doubt is a marathon.
I strongly believe that with Hansi Flick at the dugout at Barça, Barça would turn the corner and emerge much more stronger than their recent performances in the course of the season.
I can surely bet on that, because the team have all what it takes to improve their game or performance and achieve results that would bring lasting smiles to the faces of their millions of adoring fans worldwide, at the end of the season.
sad
Barca should get up from their slumber. Be aggressive in the game and stop complaining to refs. We should know that the champions league has something special at stake, is not an exhibition one. Barca should play to portray objectives. May God bless Barca
Barça has not been at sleep as to admonish them to get up from their slumber.
Again, Barça are not known for the aggressive type of football except you intended to mention “that they needed to apply more intensity to their game, which is lacking in more than half of their matches this season.
Last season was different. The intensity in their games were very high, and that saw them dominated laliga and almost conquered Europe but for Inter Milan which stopped at the semi-final stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Barça have not been playing too well since the beginning of the season, particularly as it relates to the weakness in the defence, following the departure of Inigo Martinez whose absence in the team has exposed the team’s high line to all sorts of successful attacks launched by the opposing sides.
The season is still less than half way. Thus one shouldn’t read too much into the loss against Chelsea FC on Tuesday night, even though the UCL is a big deal.
Yet the match is not in any way definitive as to how things will pan out for Barça and other teams in the long run or at the end of the end.
I am glad and elated to read that the Manager, Hansi Flick, has assured fans that the team will improve their performance as the season progresses, as he has keenly observed the improvement in the performances of individual players during trainings in recent times.
And if Flick has that to say after the Chelsea match, l have no reason to doubt him.
Rather l have full confidence and trust in his managerial ability and mam-management skills, to bet on his words of promise to all Barça fans worldwide, that a stronger Barça would emerge from the ashes of the loss at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night and their overall recent poor showings.
Barça, earlier in the season, fell dismally to Sevilla CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan 4 goals to 1.
Yet there was no hullabaloo about that loss.
Yet it became such a big deal when they were defeated by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge by 3 nil, even when they had played the match with ten men for more than half an hour, after the sending of their captain and defender playing the CB role before the first half break!
That sort of reaction by football fans and enthusiast does not add up for me, the fact that on current form , since the beginning of the season, Chelsea FC have been the stronger side than Sevilla CF.
Thus Barca’s loss to Chelsea is being blown out of proportion, without taking into context the (many) variables that led to their loss.
That game has since been played, won and lost, and it is already in the past. And Barça have moved on from that game.
As culers, we look forward to a stronger Barça in the near future.
With Flick at the dug out, an improved and changed Barça is a possibility or certainty!
Visca Barça!!!
Correction:
In paragraph three of my post above, l.meant to write,
” Last season was different. The intensity in their games were very high, and that saw them dominate laliga and almost conquered Europe but for Inter Milan which stopped them (with all the football grits and enormous experience they had got in their arsenal) at the semi final stage of the UEFA Champions League”.