Barcelona travel to the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia on Wednesday to have another crack at unlocking the massed ranks of the Levante defence, something they singularly failed to do on Sunday. Victory in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final, however, will be scant consolation for the two vital points dropped in what is now a three-horse race for the Primera title.
The characteristics of a typical Barca performance are well-known. They dominate possession and, in the rare passages of play without the ball, they press their opponents relentlessly. The game is run by the Barca midfield and attacks are channelled through Lionel Messi – when he is playing – or from an attacking pair of full-backs providing service to the front three. In front of an excellent goalkeeper, the defence is the weak link, but Barca score so many goals it scarely matters.
Back in August, on the first day of the season, most of these features were in evidence as Tata Martino, taking charge of the Catalans for the first time in a competitive game, saw his side retain possession for 80% of the first-half and go in at the break with a 6-0 lead. Admittedly Levante, an assembly of free transfers and loanees following the fallout from a match fixing scandal, were poor but Barca were ruthless.
On Sunday, Martino’s men also enjoyed 80% of possession, but whereas Alexis Sanchez had scored after three minutes in August, this time Barca were a goal down after 10, Loukas Vyntra heading in Andreas Ivanschitz’s outswinging corner. Gerard Pique cancelled that effort out nine minutes later, also from a corner.
In truth, it wasn’t so much that Barcelona were poor, although the concession of yet another goal at a set-piece is a weakness that threatens to undo them against less forgiving opponents than Levante.
The Valencians were able to punch above their weight by being well-organised in defence, soaking up pressure from the champions and attacking on the break. They defended in numbers throughout, but were far from negative and Victor Valdes needed to be alert more than once to preserve a point for his side.
Not for the first time, in addition to having the ball for most of the game, La Blaugrana created numerous chances but just couldn’t finish. Levante nullified the threat of Messi, always the most likely to score, with Pedro Rodriguez, Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas all kept quiet by the Levante defence.
There have been similar below-par performances from Barca this season, the goalless draw at Osasuna and the defeat at Athletic Bilbao the most obvious alongside narrow 1-0 scrapes against Malaga and Espanyol.
Apart from the absence of Messi, Martino has had a largely constant core of players to draw from, but perhaps the most notable absence on Sunday was that of Andres Iniesta. Vulnerable to niggling injuries, the midfield magician can unlock the tightest of defences and play the killer ball to feet at precisely the right time.
He was missed against Levante, while Xavi Hernandez is enduring a difficult season that some are speculating could be his last. With their long production line of talent, however, Barca sides tend to naturally evolve into the next generation. That process may be happening now and how Martino manages it will be the key to his success.
