Barça has not finished adding more than 45 convincing minutes in a row, determined to show that in football terms it has lived through (much) better times. If in the League it starts relaxed and tackles comebacks after the break, the Cup debut showed a new version of the Blaugrana, connected and intense at the start and suffering in the second half against Barbastro, a team that plays in the Second RFEF, three categories below him, and who had options until the final whistle to ring a legendary bell.
Not much can be blamed on Xavi, who took the game as seriously as he could, fielding a very recognizable eleven and showing that his praise for the Cup was very serious. Lewandowski and Gündogan were the only VIPs who rested, although both were urgently recruited in the final stretch due to the desolate panorama that was forming in the cold Huesca night.
Nerves continue to dominate the Blaugrana bench, which once again collected warnings. First Xavi, for protesting a badly disallowed goal against João Félix due to a non-existent offside, one of those in which the VAR would have corrected the gross error of the linesman. And after a tense end to the duel, with Barbastro harassing Iñaki Peña, it was his brother Óscar who saw a direct red card for protesting the fourth referee. Not even in qualifying for the round of 16 was Barça able to avoid the turbulence and find calm.
It was the “most important” match in the history of Barbastro, as its president had recognized during the week, which even featured special advertising for Barça’s visit. Not so much for the Blaugrana, who appeared warned after overcoming this same round in extra time a year ago against Intercity, a scenario that was about to be repeated.
One of the most convincing performances in Xavi’s ranks was that of Héctor Fort, forced to play on a changed wing due to Balde’s sick leave. At 17 years old, the young Barcelona full-back put aside the nightmare of Antwerp, where he made his debut with the first team, and completed a great game, ambitious on the wing, with the reward of assisting Raphinha in the 0-2 scoreline. “I like to attack and try to create chances, I think it has gone well enough,” the youth squad player happily assessed.
The one who did not make his debut in the eleven was Vitor Roque, to whom Xavi did allow almost half an hour in the second half. He missed the Brazilian in a stretch of the match in which Barça was running more backwards than forwards, although he managed to stand up once against Fàbregas, who won the game. He will have to keep trying.
