Barcelona fails to take advantage of Liverpool’s defeat and settles for a draw against Atalanta in the Champions League.
Barcelona drew 2-2 in the final match of the Champions League group stage against Atalanta, securing second place with 19 points. The Catalan team could have finished the group stage as leaders had they won tonight.
Despite Liverpool’s defeat, Barcelona failed to capitalize on the opportunity to claim first place, remaining in second and delaying the dream to another stage.
According to information from the Spanish newspaper “El Nacional”, coach Hansi Flick did not hide his dissatisfaction with the performances of some players, most notably the Barcelona duo of Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and Uruguayan defender Araujo. The pair played a major role in the team’s stumbling, with Flick holding them responsible for the failure to secure victory.
Flick admitted that he should not have included them in the starting lineup, considering their participation to be a significant factor in the loss of points during the match.
As for Lamine Yamal, who scored a brilliant goal in the match, Flick criticized him for excessive dribbling and holding onto the ball too long, which disrupted the team’s collective style of play.
Despite Yamal’s excellent performance throughout the match, Flick issued a harsh warning, threatening to exclude him from the starting lineup in future matches if he continued with this style, telling him: “The team’s interests come first.”
In an unexpected development, Barcelona president Joan Laporta entered the dressing room, where he played a significant role in intensifying the atmosphere following the match.
Laporta warned Flick against repeating these mistakes and ordered him to exclude the aforementioned trio, Lewandowski, De Jong, and Araujo, from the starting lineup in the upcoming matches. He sent a stern message to the German coach, cautioning him that his insistence on including this trio could ruin Barcelona’s entire season. Laporta believes Barcelona could have emerged victorious had Flick not risked a lineup including this trio, which affected the team’s chances of winning.