The visitors started boldly and took the initiative by stealing the ball and making good shots. They could’ve been up by if not for the excellent saves by Ter Stegen or last ditch defending by Lenglet. Barca actually took most of the first to settle into a rhythm and Leganes were quite comfortable defending them. However, late in the first half, Barca broke through a run behind the defence by Junior who then squared the ball to Fati beside him and the youngster was able to beat the defenders and goal keeper to get the first goal.

The second half also began as a stalemate until Griezmann scored. Semedo made a run behind a defense and was able to square the ball to Griezmann who scored but the goal was overruled by VAR because Semedo was offside by the tiniest amount — literally millimetres. Ultimately, the game was decided by Lionel Messi who made a breathtaking dribble past two defenders and was fouled in the penalty area. Barca were given a penalty and Messi put it past the Cuellar without any trouble.

Talking Points:

The Importance of Runners

The reason why Barca’s attack was so inert at times was because no one was making runs behind the defense. The ball would move from side to side and there was no outlet to pass to. Only when the fullbacks ran did Barca actually look like threatening. Fati’s and Griezmann’s goals only happened because of the full backs. In the game against Mallorca, Alba, Braithwaite, and Vidal regularly made runs and it shouldn’t be a surprise that these people were the ones who scored in that game. They were missed in this game.

Arturo Vidal

Vidal is not only provides runs from midfield, he also is the Barca’s best presser. His absence affected both offence and defense and Barca’s performance suffered. Since Barca have to play every 2-3 days, Setien has no choice but to rotate the squad. However, Vidal’s skillset is unique in the squad and every time he is dropped for a game, Barca’s quality will most likely drop. There is no clear solution to this problem and Barca might end up dropping points because of it.

Written by: Michael Peralta