Did 4 Goals Paper Over a Sloppy Showing? | 5 Headlines from 4-2 Levante Win
Barcelona put four past Levante, with two from Lamine Yamal, a first senior team goal for Xavi Espart, and a fun solo effort from Karim Adeyemi, but all that scoring might have been papered over some concerning defensive trends. 0:00 Barcelona 4-2 Levante 1:29 Espart Scores First 2:58 Lamine Yamal Times Two 6:45 Could Have Been More 9:13 Things get Nervy 11:37 Adeyemi's Insurance Check out our merch in our store! - https://the-barcelona-podcast.creator-spring.com/ Listen to the full podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast ... Follow Me: Instagram ➔ https://www.instagram.com/thebarcelon ... Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/TheBarcelonaPod Facebook ➔ https://www.facebook.com/barcablog TikTok ➔ https://www.tiktok.com/@barcelonapodcast BlueWireVideo
Transcript
How do you win but feel like you lost? Kool-Aid's have been in that circumstance before, but not yet this season. And that's exactly what this one against Levante was. Barcelona scored the four goals, got a first one from Shavei Espar. Linimal got another brace. Netti comes off the bench scoring a fantastic late goal, but defensively a bit of a mess. Barca gave Levante a ton of opportunities and they made the most of two of them and it could have been even more. So, the big question that we're going to be asking today is whether it's a one-off sloppy performance or whether some bigger issues of foot for Hanzi Flick to address. We'll get episode 853 of the Barcelona podcast brought to you by the Blue Wire Podcast Network. I'm the Hilton. You can hear it in my voice. You can hear in my energy. I was away at a tournament all weekend. I was captaining. So, yeah, we did a bit of losing. That's on me. I'll hold those L's. And then today, the reason why again my voice is gone because we opportunity to win a few games. We got our dubs today. Went undefeated. So, we end the weekend on a winning note. But that also meant I came home late, watch Levante, and that's why you're watching this early on Monday morning, likely some 24 hours later. But you know what? For the last few years, you've gotten every five headlines out of me. So, that's what you're getting again. And if you do want five headlines after every match for this season, subscribe to the YouTube channel, podcast ads, and help me out on Patreon. It's all a big help. So, I do appreciate everybody. So, let's dive in now. Here, the five headlines from Barcelona's 4-2 win with Levante. Headline one is the Spar scores. First, there are some complaints about certain things in the team about certain things we're going to get into, but one thing I can definitely not complain about this season with Hanzi Flick is the rotations. Rafinia, Mal, and Pedri not often going 90. Yes. winning helps to not have to leave those guys on the field, but the fact that they're getting rotated even as undisputed starters. And along the rotation pieces, you're seeing a ton of guys moving in and out of the starting 11 following the Fionorn match. Shavepar and Eric Garcia both come back in plus Gordon and Ferine. And this unit that has started before in La Liga hits the ground running in the fifth minute. Levante defending in a 442. Barcela string passes together. Rodri driving into the middle and as Levante go to react, the ball is already put into the center, the jelly, the soft underbelly of that defense. Fermy and Rafiniah and Shavepar combining one-touch stuff very quickly for Apar's first Barcelona goal. He was helped by a deflection, but they all count the same. You know that. And important for the kid to get an inspiring debut goal, despite I know what happened in the rest of that match. While I won't get into Levante's stuff just yet, as in all their positives, they did find their footing in about the 15th minute or so, some shots, not enough press through the middle from Barca, but they survived it since Levante didn't get enough muscle on it. And at that point, at least in the early going of this match, it was one- nothing Barcelona. Headline two is Lamin times two. Did I say that it was one- nothing? I meant that it was two nothing because those chances that Levante had missed early, Barcelona were able to punish. Fermine is given room to drive. Again, Levante, they just had to be tighter and more compact in that first half of that 442. They weren't. And so, Ferine having all that room and space vertically. It's his through ball to Rafinia into the half space that was deflected and allows Rafia to run onto it, get to the touch line, still found the angle on the cutback. Lamini Maul came in crashing, smashed the redirection into the top of the net, and that's Lamini Mal's first of the day. And not say it was an easy one for Barcelona. I actually think the cut back from Afinia. I wouldn't say this is luck, but this is extremely extremely well played. This is all on purpose for Mafinia and Lemi ball. Good job by him for a guy that early in his career we wouldn't have expected him to be crashing, especially with Leandowski in the middle. Now it's at a point where he's taking on that responsibility and I like to see it. 27th minute. Victor Garcia looks like he is in on goal. He moonballs across though. Probably should have taken the shot. But all of that danger is swatted away anyway because he gets called back because Garcia gave a hard arm bar in the face to Jared Martin. Smacked him pretty hard. There was a quite a lot of blood and he'll now that being Jar Martin very likely be joining Eric in a mask in the coming days. Let's see if he's able to play on Wednesday against racing something there at all. Obviously, they're either going to reset it or he'll have to wear that mask and do a little bit of healing before he can play at all. 37th minute, the first sign of trouble. Pedri, I think maybe in that first half. I didn't want to look up the stat because that's tell the whole picture and they don't tell exactly what the nature of the turnovers were, but I think that might have been the most turnovers that I've seen from Pedri in one half this season. And that might even be obvious. Maybe it's not statistically, but it felt like that. Or at least he gave up the ball in really precarious positions. not we're not really used to from him. Weird performance from Pedri. Looked a bit fatigued, looked a bit tired. Hopefully, he's fully rotated even though I think racing Santandere has started this season just as well or potentially probably better than Levante have. So, I would like to see rotation and you have to be able to trust Bernal to get a start here and there and at times even if he's going to come back without Dong in the lineup. Maybe it's time for Brian Freeness, but I just don't think that's going to be the case at this point so early in the season when you're still looking to almost bank Liga points for when the season gets a bit more difficult. And I know that's not how they view it, but it really is like if you can bank as many points in the early going in the Spanish domestic campaign, then it's going to pay dividends later on down the road. Before we end the first half, 45 plus one, Jerard Martin, who's already probably having trouble breathing at that point. He picks up a yellow and it was tough because he clearly gets knocked down in the back and he doesn't go to ground. Ref calls nothing. Lets the physicality play on and very much like a teacher. Doesn't see the first defense, but sees the person retaliating. And with the pull down, it was a yellow if that's what you're judging it on. But I said I I feel like it was just play on if you're going to allow that physicality. And the ref did allow a bunch of physicality today, but there's nothing he could do on the third goal from Barcelona at the start of the second half because it was multiple mistakes from Mandi. He touches the ball when he goes to ground on the tackle. And even if the A had said, that's not a penalty because he was just using whatever he knew he had touched it with his hand anyway, so he pops back up. That doesn't matter that he touch it with his hand because then he kicks Laminia Maul. He goes down PK for Laminia Maul. takes it himself and converts side netting with nothing for Matt Ryan to do that threeheaded monster to start this season in terms of goal scoring with Rfinia Fermine and Lamini Mall continues on punching with multiple goal games for now all of those guys. Headline three is could have been more. There was also even in the buildup some wild miscommunications and issues. Moving ahead to the 54th minute is Schwan Garcia looking to clear the ball and he knocks it off of Rodri which is something comical. It's something you expect at a much much lower level, but with Dan Garcia looking to start the counter early. Rodri just again trying to almost sprint past him to be another option, but it winds up hitting off him and Damonte had another pretty good opportunity on goal. 60th minute, Barca still under attack even with Christensen in the middle for Jerard Martine. It starts with a Rodri giveaway. This time Christensen misplays it. Dwan Garcia comes off his line. Kubarci slows down Romero just enough and sold his shot while Christensen fully clears that ball. Not on the line but very close to the line. So Barcelona just dodging bullets left and right here. 66 minute ad Bernal and Almo on to Lein Mal, Pedri and Gordon. As I said, good rest for Lein Mal and Pedro who didn't have his best day. Sure, but I do want to continue to see that despite Levante pushing to get back in this match. Rafinia shifting to the right with Bermine playing as a false nine. ment and all that. Those formation changes don't change though. The 3-1, this is a spar. This is one unfortunately that is going to spoil his first goal for Barcelona for the first team just a bit. Romero jumps on that misplayed pass back to Christensen from Aspar. It's an easy finish around Dan Garcia. The craziest part was that Aspar was coming off for Cancello and Barcelona played through the substitution opportunity and I was wondering why that happened and Hanzi Flick, credit to the manager, made the wrong choice and then was accountable to it in the presser. And different managers have different approaches with his team having not dropped any points anywhere and having scored four or five goals in pretty much every match but one. And I do say every match but one. It is telling that he obviously does not want to ruin any bit of confidence, especially for a younger player. So, good job by Hondic to say, "Hey, that was on me. He said he wanted to come off. He had cramps, but I said we're going to get you off on the next play. Finish it off." And he just didn't finish off that play. And it means Levante get one on the board. Finishing up headline three, Admy had an attempt on a scorpion kick on a deflected. I think it was a shot from Eric Garcia that if that goes in, that winds up being its own headline instead of just a footnote at the end of headline three. I just wish that scorpion kick had gone in. Admy, that's a lot of fun from him. Headline four is things get nervy. Unfortunately, not only does the Adi scorpion kick not go in for Barcelona's fourth goal at that point, but Levante get one back. So now it's 3-2 in this game in the 88th minute when you knew that there was going to be a ton of stoppage time. And this is a lot about Ruger, but it's also a lot about the mistakes from Barcelona. Bernol, and for those who think he's not ready yet, are obviously going to be hating on him after this goal. He had position on the sideline, but then he allowed Bugus to not even dribble through him, but just get inside goalside position on him, and that really can't happen for him. So Bug keeps working, gets inside position, pushes the ball away from him towards the goal. Then it's Kubar's turn to get beat. Then finally Juan Garcia, the hat-tick of mistakes from Barcelona and Bug passes it into the goal. It's shocking defending from the Catalins. And yes, Bug scores that, but that's the kind of goal that if the likes of an Mbappe or Vinnie Jr. had scored that, it would be, oh my gosh, look at this guy. This is a worldclass star player. the fact that Bugus did it. Hopefully that shows a little bit of the depth of quality in La Liga, but more it shows you that Barcelona's defending at times still need to refine a few things here. And I'll ask you with those different mistakes, are these mistakes that are going to translate beyond this? I think that's really the one question that I'm going to be ruminating with until we get that match on Wednesday against racing Santandere. There was a bunch of errors and individual errors from players that we really don't usually see. For Pedri and Rodri both to have their clear worst games of the season at the same time was a bit shocking. Christensen not really great from him. For Kubarci who I've been praising so far to start this year probably his worst game as well. A spark got the goal but also makes this mistake here. Gordon was pretty quiet. This was I think even quieter than the match last week. So the quietest game we've seen from Gordon so far. I I thought Rafini and Luminium were up to their awesome tricks per usual. And Fermine also was supporting here. But it was just a weird match from a bunch of different players. So obviously as somebody who you know likes to be glass half full, I'm not going to overreact to the individual mistakes here. But I do think that Levante kind of feasting in transition again. Those are the concerns that you see that I feel like can carry on when competition changes. Headline five. Fortunately, we do have a fifth headline here and it's Eddie Ymy's insurance because Admy was able to cap this game off with that fourth goal. That was nice to see. You felt like there was something brewing for him. He came on shot out of a cannon and I think Levante their legs were getting a bit tired. So would Barcelona's but for Eddie Emmy saying, "Hey, I don't care. I want to score this goal." And he does that on his own in the 92nd minute. A terrific run. Very similar to Bugs, honestly. Blazing through the midfield, gets a bunch to miss. caught Mundy just way too slow and then slows things down himself to get Matt Ryan to shift his positioning which is just really really smart goalc scoring finishing near post as well as again he got both the defender on the near post and Ryan the goalkeeper wrongfooted it's a really well done goal by Eddie Yi and yes fortunately for Barcelona they still score four which may not happen against higher level competition and they do concede just two again worrying signs. We're not going to overreact and hopefully by Wednesday my voice is back. So, I'm out here. Instead of doing a long outro, I'm just going to say what you want to hear is that Barcelona continue to lead the Liga and they've been playing and scoring enough goals to do so. Worome stuff. None of that. Let's reset on Wednesday. I'll see you there. And until then, what's the bar?