Barcelona return dwelling after a spell of two straight video games away from the Spotify Camp Nou, each of which resulted in defeats for the Catalans.
The final recreation they performed at dwelling was in opposition to Mallorca, which resulted in a 3-0 win, however the staff then travelled to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano and misplaced 4-0 earlier than shedding 2-1 away to Girona.
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Evidently, the Blaugrana will probably be keen to show the tide round and return to successful methods in opposition to Levante tomorrow night. Again in entrance of their dwelling crowd, furthermore, the circumstances will probably be extra beneficial.
An enormous March awaits Barcelona, proper from the hopeful Copa del Rey comeback within the first week to the UEFA Champions League knockouts that will even begin in the identical month. Getting again in rhythm, thus, is important.
Barça Common brings you three speaking factors forward of Barcelona vs Levante.
A lot-needed reset
Barcelona’s defeats to Atletico Madrid and Girona can certainly not be ignored, and there are a variety of overlapping components accountable for a similar.
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Whereas it’s tough to pinpoint precisely what went mistaken on each nights, one of many undoubted contributors is the hectic schedule and the domino impact that clicks in after a defeat,
Are Flick’s males prepared for the problem? (Picture by Angel Martinez/Getty Photographs)
With not an excessive amount of time between video games, it’s straightforward for groups to get right into a destructive spiral comparatively simply in right now’s day and age, and Barcelona, too didn’t look as much as the problem remotely once they took on Girona simply days after the Atletico Madrid recreation.
On that entrance, the present week has introduced some much-needed relaxation for the Catalans – one which the administration and dressing room would have used to mentally reset and put together to get again on observe.
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With over 5 days in between their final recreation and tomorrow’s match, the staff loved two days off and three additional days with no recreation, and the remainder might properly do them a world of excellent.
In spite of everything, Hansi Flick’s system is bodily very demanding, and an entire bodily and psychological reset could be sufficient for them to rediscover their mojo tomorrow night time.
Again to the chase
Having slipped to 2 La Liga defeats up to now month, Barcelona have dropped six factors within the title race at an important level and the end result in opposition to Girona was devastating for the standings.
Having dropped all three factors in opposition to their neighbours, Flick’s males handed the lead in La Liga again to their arch-rivals and now path by two factors.
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The title continues to be of their management certainly, for they may win the competitors in the event that they win all their remaining video games. The actual fact of the matter, nonetheless, is that they have to now return to chasing Actual Madrid.
Beginning with tomorrow’s recreation in opposition to Levante, Barcelona should thus play as soon as once more, treading a cautious path, for there’s not a lot room for error.
With the season nearing the enterprise finish, it’s essential that they keep near Actual Madrid to capitalise on any slip-up from their finish, and thus can’t afford to lose any factors of their very own.
The return of the controller
The large information forward of Barcelona’s recreation in opposition to Levante, for sure, is the return of Pedri Gonzalez to the squad as he has overcome the muscle situation he was nursing over the previous month.
Pedri’s return will function a large boon for Barcelona. (Picture by David Ramos/Getty Photographs)
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It’s clear that Pedri won’t begin in opposition to Levante and that the staff won’t be able to utterly capitalise on his return tomorrow night time, however the actual fact that he’s again within the squad comes as a large sigh of reduction for the supervisor.
In spite of everything, there’s merely no changing what he brings to the sector for Barcelona – the management, the poise, the stress resistance, and the management of the sport – one thing the staff struggled for in his absence.
So much has been mentioned about Barcelona’s defensive deficiencies over the previous two video games, however a deeper dive into the sport brings to gentle that the staff merely lacked management in midfield in each video games – resulting in precarious defensive transitions.
As Hansi Flick clarified and recognized in his , Barcelona misplaced too many balls within the remaining third of their half in each video games and have been extremely inclined to the opposition press.
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The fragility in midfield, for sure, opened the door for ruthless transitions and goal-threatening counter-attacks.
With Pedri again, Flick can hope for his staff to regain the misplaced management in midfield and retain the ball higher. That, on the foundational degree, could resolve Barcelona’s fragility.
The Canary Islander will begin on the bench tomorrow, however the supervisor has confirmed that he’ll doubtless come off the bench in the course of the sport. Watching the maestro return to the sector, for sure, will probably be one of many highlights.