The Coca-Cola formula is a secret. Not so much what has historically been Barcelona’s strong point: the superiority of the midfield that they recovered against Alavés. If we add to that the fact that in Mendizorroza they rediscovered their effectiveness in front of goal to score three goals in their first three shots and that Samu is still not the most reliable point, Barça at times looked like the champion team of the last League . Enough to end Alavés’ good streak.
Second consecutive victory for the Blaugrana after the announcement of Xavi, who must be recognized for having given stability to the locker room. As if that were not enough, in Vitoria he recovered the drawing that led him to success last season, with a fixed pivot and a fourth midfielder to give control and clarity to the game. The team appreciated it because Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal also play from memory too.
Even Lewandowski recovered his sense of smell after six days without seeing a goal. Not even in numerical inferiority, due to the expulsion of Vitor Roque, who scored the third goal in 20 minutes and saw two yellow cards, did Barça see their victory in jeopardy. Maybe for the League it is late but the Champions remains.
There are striking headlines such as that Xavi put four centre-backs among the ten starting outfield players in Mendizorroza. Precisely because he was the most influential midfielder and the brain of the best Barça in history, he was more greedy. Koundé, Araújo, Christensen and Pau Cubarsí, four of the five center backs who traveled to Vitoria, were on the team. The fifth, Iñigo Martínez, had just been discharged and remained on the bench.
But in football one thing is who you are but another, more important thing, is what you do and your functions. And the Dane acted as a pivot in the center of the field, the position for which substitute Romeu was signed. While Koundé occupied the right wing after Samu’s mess in the first round in their duel in Montjuïc. At 17 years old, Cubarsí is already almost immovable next to Araújo, a couple that did withstand the attacks of the powerful Omorodion. That there were. And not a few. And from the beginning.
Alavés tried to surprise with another early goal like in November and found a hole in Cancelo’s back. Alex Sola sneaked in there again and again at the start of the game. To the point that after 14 seconds the local fans were already asking for a penalty for an attack that was canceled due to offside. And before the first minute, the winger put in the center and Araújo had to drop to the ground to avoid Samu’s shot.
Once the Vitorians’ suddenness was overcome, it felt great for Barcelona to have a positional midfielder and a fourth midfielder playing as a false winger. That is, play with the same scheme with which they won the League last season although with different names. Without Busquets (in Miami), without Gavi (injured) and without Dembélé (he went to Paris) but Barça found themselves much more natural on the field. Suddenly, it seemed as if time had not passed, that the Blaugrana were at the top of the crest. Above all, football accelerated when De Jong, Pedri and Gündogan got together. This is how the first goal came. The three combined quickly and the German assisted Lewandowski in the area. The Pole, with a great maneuver, got rid of the marker, stood in front of Sivera, whom he beat by raising the ball. A play with elaboration and finesse, delicate both in rapid circulation and in definition, beautiful. As I said, a good exercise in collective memory.
The problem with Xavi’s Barcelona is that he has always played in fits and starts and very rarely with continuity. And Alavés took over the end of the first half, taking advantage of one of those common disconnections. Iñaki Peña played Ter Stegen in a point-blank header from Guridi in the face of Koundé’s passivity. And Samu did not go to half-time without having another chance but without the goal that he sought so much.
As already happened in the first round, the young Samu Omorodion had many and failed. Instead, the Pole took advantage of the only one he enjoyed.
The locals were doing damage and Barcelona did not remedy it even with the entry of Héctor Fort for Cancelo. Rioja could have tied but it was crossed. However, what came was 0-2 with a great volley from Gündogan from inside the area in another good appearance from the interiors. Pedri’s center seemed to go long when the German stretched his right leg to hook the ball almost without looking and surprise Sivera.
Barça did not even have time to savor the result because Sola, on the right, left Fort and De Jong to leave it behind for Samu who this time did find the goal to close the gap and leave Peña without a clean sheet now. that Ter Stegen will return.
Curiously, when it seemed doomed to suffering, Barcelona shook off its nerves. The third goal helped in a play in which the youth Héctor Fort was forgiven with a play on the wing and center back that Vitor Roque finished with his left foot in almost the first ball that the Brazilian touched, who was not a starter but who returned to show their claws with a new goal, not as key as Osasuna’s but which gave a lot of peace of mind. The former Athletico Paranaense player was having an incredible week until he went wrong when he saw his first red card in his seventh minute. Martínez Munuera showed him the second yellow in a split ball in which he and Rafa Marín threw themselves to the ground in what seemed like a noble fight.
Tigrinho didn’t understand it but Barcelona was left with ten with almost 20 minutes left. In inferiority, the art of Lamine Yamal emerged to, as if he were a veteran, hide balls, dribble, snail, threaten the rival and defend the advantage without problems.
Alavés: Sivera, Tenaglia (Benavidez 77), Rafa Marín, R. Duarte, Javi López, Guevara, A. Blanco (Hagi 77), Sola, Guridi (Rebbach 63), Rioja (G. Simeone 63) and Samu (Panichelli 88 ).
Coach: Luis García Plaza
Barcelona: Iñaki Peña, Koundé, Araújo, Cubarsi (83), Cancelo (Hector Fort 46), Christensen (Romeu 83), De Jong, Gündogan (Vitor Roque 59), Lamine Yamal, Pedri (Fermin 74) and Lewandowski.
Coach: Xavi Hernández
Stadium: Mendizorroza (19,480 spectators).
Referee: Martinez Munuera (c. Valencian).
Cards: Yellow for Samu, Vitor Roque (2) and Alex Sola. Red to Vitor Roque (72).
Goals: 0-1 Lewandowski (22), 0-2 Gündogan (49), 1-2 Samu (51), 1-3 Vitor Roque (63).
