Barcelona did not have their finest night against Chelsea on Stamford Bridge, losing 3-0 to the Blues in something of a sorry showing. The home side did not hold back on just how resounding they felt the result was.
Despite Hansi Flick being upbeat after the match about Barcelona’s progress in the coming weeks, many felt that the Catalan side provided little in the way of an obstacle for the home side. Another of the narratives was the battle for the spotlight between Lamine Yamal and Estevao, with the Brazilian coming out on top.
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‘He had him in his pocket’ – Robert Sanchez
However it was Marc Cucurella who was tasked with dealing with Lamine Yamal, and the Chelsea left-back definitively won the battle over his Spain colleague. Speaking to El Chiringuito after the game, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had a fairly blunt summary of the battle between the two.
“The red card gave us a slight advantage, but we dominated the game from the first minute. We scored a lot of goals, three of them offside, and I’m very happy with the victory,” Sanchez told Cadena SER shortly after.
Image via Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Enzo Fernandez criticises Barcelona tactics
Meanwhile Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who provided an assist and was frequent thorn in the side for the Blaugrana, was also critical of Barcelona’s approach.
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“They have the line too high for my liking and we knew where the spaces would be. And we were able to find our forwards in space a lot. That is the plan that Maresca had prepared,” Fernandez explained to Movistar+.
Defensive problems for Hansi Flick
It has been a defining matter for Barcelona’s season, who have struggled to both replicate the pressing and the offside trap of last season. Opponents have adjusted their approach against the Blaugrana, but Flick has only recently added further nuances to Barcelona’s approach. However the result against Chelsea shows Flick’s method is a long way from being effective again as things stand.