Nine days after “It’s the hardest talk I’ve ever done as a coach,” said the Egarense, who was looking for a reaction from the team. This reset with which to reformat the players’ mentality must begin to give results as quickly as possible after these days of disconnection if he wants to fight for the four titles to which he aspired and aspires. The Blaugrana team has pending issues for the first quarter.

In the League, Barcelona is forced to make up for lost ground with Real Madrid and Girona, who are seven points ahead of them with one match left to finish the first round of the championship. He is not off the hook because there is a lot of ground ahead but it will not be easy for him. First, because he must travel to several of the most difficult fields, starting with the Bernabéu or the Metropolitano, passing through San Mamés, Pizjuán, Villamarín and ending with Montilivi. Second because it also faces history. In the 21st century, Barça has only won the League once when it was not winter champion. It was in 2014-15, when it took Luis Enrique a while to bring together the trident Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez – the season began with a sanction. After the Anoeta crisis, the team was second, four points behind Madrid, but ended up winning the treble in Berlin.

That is the only comeback in the League since the fourth consecutive one for the dream team, that of Djukic’s penalty on the last day.

There is no better proof of what it costs Barcelona to redirect its trajectory in the championship. For this reason, he urges that Xavi’s team return to having a dominant and recognizable game as soon as possible, in addition to values ??such as dedication and soul, which he classified as non-negotiable.

The problem of effectiveness is on everyone’s lips since no forward, not even Lewandowski, has reached 10 goals. This causes the matches to reach the final part unresolved, always with tight results. The arrival of Brazilian Vitor Roque, a winter signing, may be part of the solution to shake up roles that were very established in the attack line. It will also be necessary to see if the status of João Félix (17-time starter) changes after being substituted at half-time against the bottom team.

But the big question is that you see a Barça with clear ideas, a team with a game plan and an identity, something that has been missing, perhaps because Gavi’s knee operation – it means a loss for the rest of the team. the season – and Pedri’s injuries – it is not known if he will be in the Super Cup – have directly affected the engine room. De Jong also entered the infirmary. Not to mention how bad Oriol Romeu is having it. All of this has led to the fact that in just 24 games, Xavi has already tried, often out of necessity, thirteen different combinations in the midfield. In the last game Gündogan played accompanied by Fermín and Sergi Roberto… who scored a double and almost scored a hat-trick.

Barça seemed to have their defense resolved, after their spectacular numbers in the last League, but in 18 games they have already conceded more goals (21) than in 38 games (20). He receives more than one goal per game, something to correct now that the qualifying rounds of the short tournaments are coming: Super Cup, Cup and Champions League. For the European round of 16 against Naples, Ter Stegen is already expected between the sticks.

“We have to find what made us strong last year, which was defense. We have to defend well together, make efforts together. I think the team is aware of that. I think this break has gone well for us,” explained Koundé. Barça will enter 2024 with homework to do.