Barcelona’s defeat to Las Palmas in Montjuïc set off alarm bells within the club and put the spotlight on several players.
Barcelona suffered their third league defeat of the season after falling to Osasuna, Real Sociedad, and then to Las Palmas a few days ago, and are now close to losing the lead in La Liga.
According to information from the Spanish newspaper “El Nacional”, one of the most prominent names highlighted was Iñaki Peña, who took over as the first-choice goalkeeper after Marc-André ter Stegen was injured. However, Peña was unable to meet the team’s expectations in protecting Barcelona’s goal.
The match against Las Palmas was a stark example of the lack of confidence in Peña’s performance. In a match in which Las Palmas did not pose any real threat to Hansi Flick’s goal, the only two shots on target ended in two goals, which raised doubts about Peña’s level.
Barça fans are running out of patience, with social media flooding with criticism of the goalkeeper, who has been criticized for failing to provide security at a critical moment in the season.
The absence of Ter Stegen, who has been a mainstay of the team, has created a huge void, and so far, Iñaki Peña has failed to fill it.
Even Hansi Flick, who knows the goalkeeping position is vital and feels tensions are rising within the squad, is said to be considering making an urgent change.
According to sources close to the dressing room, the German coach is considering giving the starting role to Wojciech Szczesny, who has joined the team as a free agent after initially announcing his retirement.
Szczesny’s signing has come as a surprise to Barça, but also a source of hope. The veteran Polish keeper, who has extensive experience with big clubs such as Juventus and Arsenal, was seen as an emergency solution in case of need. However, he has yet to play a single minute, which could change in the next match.
Flick sees Szczesny as a short-term solution who can add experience and calm in difficult times. The Polish goalkeeper, who has been training intensively since joining, is expected to be ready to take on the challenge and make his first start for the team in the coming days.
As the results crisis worsens and pressure from fans increases, Hansi Flick looks set to make decisive decisions to get the team back on track. As for Iñaki Peña being dropped from the starting lineup, it is a first step towards restoring stability to the team.