Barcelona suffered a , struggling a 0-2 loss to Atletico Madrid within the first leg of their quarterfinal conflict.
It was a sport that Barça had been by no means going to win, particularly after Pau Cubarsi’s pink card within the first half that successfully despatched the group on the defensive.
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Following Cubarsi’s pink card, Barcelona have now turn into an undesirable chief within the Champions League.
Barcelona’s pink card troubles
Because the 2016/17 marketing campaign, Barcelona have amassed 12 pink playing cards within the competitors – a determine no different European powerhouse can boast, experiences .
For comparability, Actual Madrid have acquired six, whereas Bayern Munich stands at eight. This development has shifted from an anomaly to a structural disaster, particularly underneath the high-risk administration of Hansi Flick.
Hansi Flick’s excessive line of defense is inflicting ache for Barcelona when it comes to disciplinary report. (Photograph by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Pictures)
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During the last three seasons, the membership have recorded extra dismissals than within the earlier seven years mixed.
The price of Flick’s excessive line
The German coach’s tactical setup includes a suffocating excessive line of defense and relentless vertical urgent.
Whereas this generates possibilities, it leaves the defence uncovered in high-stakes duels. In simply two seasons underneath Flick, Barça have already seen 4 gamers despatched off.
Pau Cubarsi (two reds in a yr) and Ronald Araujo (two in two seasons) have turn into the faces of this wrestle, typically pressured into emergency tactical fouls.
Of the 12 complete dismissals, 5 had been direct reds, and lots of occurred within the first half of decisive matches.
This lack of self-discipline blunts the group’s attacking edge and forces untimely defensive shifts, as was the case in opposition to Atleti within the Champions League this midweek.