Barcelona: A weak defense leads to a deserved defeat!

28/10/2025 11:12:00 ceshi

Barcelona came to Bernabeu with the clear goal of silencing Real Madrid. Yet, they ended up being the ones completely quiet on the field due to lacking star players of the caliber needed for a major match like El Clasico.

When Szczesny was the standout player for the defending champions, it certainly indicated that things were not going well, and the Catalan team’s defeat was justified, to the extent that the hosts celebrated their win as if claiming a trophy.

They attempted to play at a moderate tempo and less vertically than usual because they lacked big stars at Bernabeu and were not in their best form. The disparity in attacking efficiency between the two teams was very clear.

Kylian Mbappe had scored 10 goals before the match, nearly three times the amount scored by Barcelona’s top scorer Ferran Torres (4 goals). The game was clearly decided by the French striker’s talent, even though he scored only one goal, was denied another due to offside, and missed a penalty.

Some may argue that the absence of Lewandowski and Raphinha was a heavy burden. However, Barcelona’s loss at Bernabeu cannot be attributed solely to that. Real Madrid played more effective offense and better defense. They consistently controlled the match’s rhythm and forced Barca to chase until the very last minutes. Even Xabi Alonso didn’t worry about how much ball possession his team had when their opponents were completely harmless.

Barcelona lacked the strong “firepower” needed to secure a victory.

Hansi Flick tried to adjust due to the absence of Raphinha and Lewandowski. But Marcus Rashford, Torres, and Fermin Lopez were insufficient to cope with matches of such intensity. Lamine Yamal’s talent failed to deliver this time. He lacked the confidence and control we usually see. On the stage where he shone last season, the number 10 was never a decisive or capable player of that level. He tried but lacked class, subtlety, mental strength, and stamina—qualities that create the explosive impact necessary to become an outstanding player.

Rashford applied pressure and effort but has yet to reach Raphinha’s level in dribbling, vision, and defensive sacrifice. Ferran, playing as a pure number 9, was uninspired and probably too slow to stand out against the Militao-Huijsen pairing.

In conclusion, we witnessed a harmless Barca leaving with a scoreline defeat that is acceptable. To win at Bernabeu, it takes more than Szczesny’s excellence, Pedri’s versatility, and VAR’s intervention. They need to work harder to avoid an early exit from the race as soon as late October.

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