Yamal’s magic highlight on a night of goals
Barcelona and Club Brugge drew 3-3 in a thrilling Champions League match, showcasing counter-attacking brilliance and defensive struggles.
Kolkata: Attack met counter-attack and a goal fest ensued. Twice Barcelona and Club Brugge struck within minutes of each other. For the rest of the remarkable night in Bruges, Belgium, the teams produced thrills and spills in equal measure with shots hitting the framework, lengthy VAR checks and the sheer genius of Laine Yamal enhancing the drama of Wednesday’s 3-3 draw
The Champions League this term has an average of 3.42 goals per match. Barcelona and Brugge could have doubled that had attempts from Fermin Lopez, Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia not ricocheted off the framework; Romeo Vermant’s late effort not been disallowed and Carlos Forbs not shot wide from close. Like with Vermant, Forbs had a penalty claim disallowed by VAR
With 25% possession, Brugge matched Barcelona’s six shots on target and their xG of 2.1. It was a display of clinical counter-attacking football that, not for the first time this season, shred to ribbons Barcelona’s defensive high line. Forbs gave an early indication of how to do that, bending his run to stay on-side and meet Kyriani Sabbe’s through ball and letting his electric pace do the rest. Nicolo Tresoldi followed Forbs for the pass and six minutes in, Barcelona were trailing.
The cameras focused on Wojciech Szczesny looking helpless and it would not be the only time that Barcelona’s stand-in goalie was left with too much to do. Forbs scored in the 17th minute, after an exchange of passes with Christos Tzolis and chewing up ground left vacant by the visiting side, bending it past Szczesny. He could have scored around the hour mark but failed to keep his shot on target with Szczesny out of position but made amends in the 63rd after finding himself one-on-one with the Barcelona goalkeeper.
Forbs then had a penalty decision overturned by referee Anthony Taylor after pitchside replays showed that the Portuguese had bumped into Barcelona full back Alejandro Balde. Brugge still thought they had won it when Vermant stole from Szczesny in stoppage time but again VAR saved Barcelona.
Undefeated at home this term, Brugge chose not to sit back and protect their lead and that allowed Barcelona to comeback thrice. The first stemmed from a Brugge-like counter-attack in the eighth minute following which Ferran Torres got on top of the ball and superbly guided it past goalkeeper Nordin Jackers. The second time they drew level, in the 61st minute, Barcelona needed the magic of Yamal and some quick thinking by Lopez.
Yamal glided through two challenges after Marc Casado had found him. He left the ball with Lopez who, on seeing that Yamal had continued to run, heeled it goalwards. Yamal controlled, beat Brugge central defender Brandon Mechele and slot the shot past Jackers. It was a quality goal created, crafted and executed by two Barcelona academy products.
Looking to have shrugged off a groin problem, Yamal was having one of his best nights of the season and it was his looping shot that Tzolis, ironically the Brugge player with most goal contributions this season (5 goals and 3 assists in 13 matches), deflected into his goal in the 77th minute.
That Barcelona needed 22 shots to equal the score, more than twice the number for Brugge, showed their finishing needs improvement. That they have not had a clean sheet since the 3-0 win against Getafe on September 22 after which they have lost to Real Madrid, Sevilla and Paris St-Germain is proof of the work that needs to be done defensively.
Injuries and the departure of Inigo Martinez to Al-Nassr (he has played against FC Goa) are partly to blame. Martinez has left the backline, where Andreas Christensen is yet to recover from a calf injury, short of a leader. Pedri and Gavi are injured and that affects creativity and goalkeepers Marc-Andre ter-Stegen and Joan Garcia are still not available. Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski are being eased into games. All of this has contributed to Barcelona not being as sharp as last season.
Eric Garcia, to whom Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick was seen speaking when Torres had scored, acknowledged that counter-attacks are “causing us a lot of danger” but did not see it as a problem only for the defence.
“We all attack, we all defend. Sometimes we have losses of possession, in difficult areas, which make it easier for opponents (to counter) which is something we need to stop doing,” the defender told Movistar.
To that Flick added that Barcelona did not “put pressure on the ball in the midfield” which made it difficult for defenders. What followed was significant. “We want to play like our DNA is,” he said.
Not low blocks and win 1-0 on transition, said Flick. “We are Barca. Our football is to be active and with intensity.” It made for a fun night.
