Following Monday night's loss away to Girona, a television journalist asked Barcelona coach Hansi Flick a question.
“We saw you asking the referee for explanations after the game, maybe about the foul on Kounde before the second goal ...”
“Do you think it was a foul or not?” replied the German coach in English. “Come on now, you can say.”
“I’m here just to ask [the questions],” replied the journalist.
“Do you have no opinion?” said Flick.
“No.”
“Then I also have not,” said Flick. “I have nothing to say.”
Flick was clearly agitated. His side had just lost for the second consecutive game, a 2-1 Catalan derby defeat at mid-table neighbours Girona. That followed Thursday’s 4-0 hammering in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at Atletico Madrid, with Flick’s side four down at half time.
There have been inquests between Flick and his players since the Atletico defeat, while populist club president Joan Laporta, who faces an upcoming election, has assured fans that it was possible to overturn the deficit in the second leg on March 3.
Thursday’s hammering in Madrid was a surprise; Monday’s defeat in Girona meant that Barcelona relinquished first position in La Liga to Real Madrid with 14 games to play. Barca entertain their greatest rivals in May in their penultimate home game of the season. Madrid, on a nine-game win streak in the league, have 60 points, Barcelona 58. There’s a 13-point gap to Villarreal in third. La Liga needs stronger challengers.
As he had more time to collect his thoughts, Flick was more measured when speaking to the written media, explaining that Pedri and Marcus Rashford would be returning for the next game at home to 19th-place Levante at Camp Nou on Sunday.
It was a nod to how Rashford can impact games. Sadly, Pedri’s onetime sidekick Gavi, 21, has been missing all season as he recovers from a second serious knee injury of his career.
Camp Nou continues to be developed and Barcelona hope its capacity will rise from 45,000 to around 62,000 next month on its way to an eventual 105,000 upon completion next year. There are growing pains and exaggerated memes when it rains in a stadium which has no cover. It looks like a building site, but progress continues steadily and the extra capacity will be much needed as the season starts to peak.
Villarreal at home follows, two games to potentially settle the Catalans, who have won all 11 of their home league games so far, scoring 34 and conceding only five. Their four league defeats have all been away. On Monday in Girona, they took the lead on 59 minutes after Jules Kounde crossed to central defender Pau Cubarsi, 19, to head in his first La Liga goal after 113 appearances. In years gone by, Barcelona fans would have celebrated all over Girona’s stadium, but Girona are feeling more confident in their own team and their fan base is increasing.
After an hour, the scoreboards in the stadium, with its temporary stands on three sides, read ‘Girona 0 Barcelona 1’. The much-missed Raphinha was back and with that some optimism. The Brazilian was one of the best players in the world last season; he hit the post in the first half – as did Lamine Yamal with a 45th-minute penalty. Barcelona also kept a first-half clean sheet – 75% of goals the team has conceded this term have come before the break.
Barcelona’s lead lasted less than two minutes after Thomas Lemar hit a left-footed equaliser. The momentum continued with Girona as they went for a second. Girona has the smallest stadium in La Liga, but they held Real Madrid, and they would go on to beat Barcelona 2-1, thanks to new signing Fran Beltran's effort in the 86th minute. The moment of controversy came as Kounde appeared to be fouled in the build-up to the goal, yet no foul was given.
Barcelona grew desperate. They put the ball in the net in the fourth minute of injury time but striker Robert Lewandowski was offside.
Yamal was then on the receiving end of a red-card challenge in the 98th minute as the derby became feistier. It means two straight defeats for Barcelona for the first time this season.
“We played a bad game,” said goalscorer Cubarsi, as others raged about the referee. “We have to improve. We have a week to recover.”
The latter point is valid for a team that play two games most weeks. So do their rivals, including Real Madrid, who meet Benfica in the first leg of a Uefa Champions League play-off this week.
"Girona deserved the win,” said a calmer Flick, perhaps because a journalist has said Kounde had been clearly fouled. “I'm giving the team two days off. The players need it. They are very tired and it’s showing. We made many mistakes. Our positioning was very bad, especially in midfield. We left too many gaps and we were not pressing. We were too open and we conceded too much."
How champions Barcelona react is key. Madrid’s league form is ominous under Alvaro Arbeloa, while cracks have started to appear at Barcelona under Flick. There was disquiet from some players about his high defensive-line tactics in the defeat at Atletico without Pedri and Raphinha, while he questioned his team’s intensity and mentality.
The two-day break should help and the storms that battered Catalonia last week have been replaced by sun. This tired Barcelona team definitely need some sunshine.
