Barça lost the LaLiga lead and jeopardized its spot in the Copa final within five days after two disappointing defeats to Girona and Atlético. Players and staff expressed outrage at refereeing errors by César Soto Grado and the VAR at Montilivi, but alongside the complaints there is a need for self-criticism.
Rather than dwelling on officiating, the club can only offset a run of controversial decisions with good football and maximum concentration—qualities Hansi Flick's team lacked against Girona and in the tie with Atlético.
WEAK DEFENCE, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY: Beyond the fact that the 2-1 should not have stood due to the foul by Echeverri on Koundé that went uncalled, the match exposed serious defensive issues: turnovers in attack that enabled Girona counterattacks, poor synchronization when pressing after losses, imprecise offside line management and opponents easily finding space behind the defenders, creating one-on-one and very dangerous chances inside the box.
LACK OF ATTACKING CUTTING EDGE: Lamine Yamal's penalty had to be retaken because of an opponent encroachment, but his first attempt had already hit the post; other shots, including one from Raphinha, also struck the woodwork. Barça fired up to 27 shots at Gazzaniga's goal but only saw Cubarsí's strike on the scoreboard.
LACK OF COMPETITIVE CONTINUITY: The team again showed an inability to maintain intensity after scoring: the gap between Cubarsí's goal (59') and Lemar's equalizer (61') felt like a déjà vu. Barça concedes too easily and often fails to sustain pressure after taking the lead.
LACK OF BALL AND GAME CONTROL: Pedri González's absence was glaring—there is no other player in the squad with his traits to know when to speed up, when to play more positional and when to hide the ball. De Jong drives rapid transitions, Fermín exploits space on the break, Dani Olmo can turn and shoot in tight areas, and Lamine Yamal adds magic, but the responsibility for controlling the game lies with Pedri.
INDIVIDUALS WERE INCONSEQUENTIAL: When the collective fails, stars must step up, and at Montilivi neither the team nor its key players did. Ferran Torres (2 shots, 0 on target) and Lewandowski (1 shot) had little impact; Lamine and Raphinha were involved but lacked their usual luck. Girona's Joan García was named MVP with 7 saves (6 inside the area) and 5 risky clearances, yet several Barça players looked at their physical limit and issues like Eric García's knocks show the calendar's toll.
