"Barcelona fell to a first league defeat after 11 straight wins in the competition last night when they took on Deportivo Alaves away from home. Having been crowned champions of the league on Sunday, there was not too much riding on the game from the Catalans' perspective. Alaves, on the other hand, were fighting for the win with everything to stay afloat in the first division. In the end, only a late first-half goal by Ibrahim Diabate separated the two teams, and Barcelona never got back into the game with an equaliser."
"With Barcelona sitting pretty on 91 points ahead of last night's clash, many expected Hansi Flick to go out all guns blazing to hit the 100-point mark. The manager, however, was very pragmatic with his approach and prioritised the squad's well-being after the big game they played at the weekend. Instead of focusing on the 100-point objective, the manager handed key stars a rest, given that the game was just days after El Clasico and the title celebrations, which ran late into the night."
"With the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, player welfare becomes all the more important. The defeat last night, thus, ended Barcelona's hopes of breaching the 100-point mark in La Liga and Flick's chance to ensure his side is never forgotten. Yet, his decision as a manager is completely understandable and one cannot blame the team for underperforming against a side fighting to stay alive while worn out themselves."
"Hansi Flick's rotations against Deportivo Alaves saw him field bench players across the field in all departments. The attack, however, was the department that disappointed the most. On the night, the manager started Roony Bardghji on the right, Marcus Rashford on the left and Robert Lewandowski as the centre-forward. All three players failed to step up to the occas"
Barcelona suffered a first league defeat after 11 straight wins when they lost 1-0 away to Deportivo Alaves. The match mattered more for Alaves, who were fighting to stay in the first division, while Barcelona had already been crowned champions. A late first-half goal by Ibrahim Diabate decided the game, and Barcelona did not score an equalizer. Barcelona’s approach was shaped by pragmatism after the weekend’s big match and title celebrations, with key players rested. With the FIFA World Cup approaching, player welfare was emphasized. Heavy rotation affected performance, especially in attack, where the selected forwards failed to make a decisive impact.
Read at Barca Universal
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