FC Barcelona failed to beat Villarreal at El Madrigal Stadium, 0-0. This result means Real Madrid is now 7 points ahead in La Liga.
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Match Report:
It all started like most away matches this season, with Barça struggling to break defenses from the start, the local team using their fans to apply added pressure.
The game went by, minutes passed but the story didn’t change. No goals, nothing major happened. The Blaugranas tried hard but didn’t succeed in their attempts to score.
The truth is, our team is currently suffering a disastrous injury streak. The players who are still standing are showing clear signs of fatigue, not just physical but mental. Guardiola is giving those La Masia youngsters chances to come into the team but, let’s be honest, we can’t expect them to win us every match: They are used as complements to the first team players. Is the squad too short? Well, looking at the current situation, many may argue it is…
As I’ve said before, FC Barcelona misses part of its spark without Iniesta. Don Andres’ influence in midfield is invaluable, the link between Xavi and Messi. His absence tonight had an obvious impact on the final result.
I’ve read some nasty comments aimed at La Pulga. Messi missed one of those clear chances that, 99 times out of 100, he sends to the back of the net. This is not the time to critisize Leo: He has given us so much in recent years that blaming him for today’s bad result would be completely out of order.
On the plus side though, our players didn’t give up until the final whistle. Tello’s impact on the game was remarkable, creating many chances from the left wing. There are 19 more games left: This is NOT the time to feel sorry for ourselves but to stand up and continue our journey.
IT WASN’T TO BE TODAY, TIME TO MOVE FORWARD!!!!!!!!!
Villarreal:
Diego López, Ángel, Gonzalo, Musacchio, Joan Oriol, Cani (Castellani, m.72), Bruno Soriano, Borja Valero, Marcos Senna (Marchena, m.89), Marco Ruben (Camuñas, m.83) and Joselu.
FC Barcelona:
Víctor Valdés, Puyol, Piqué (Alexis, m.61), Mascherano, Abidal, Dani Alves, Busquets, Xavi (Thiago, m.77) Adriano (Tello, m.77) Cesc Fábregas and Messi.
My 5-4-3-2-1 FC Barcelona points:
Tello – 5 points
Abidal – 4 points
Valdes – 3 points
Mascherano – 2 points
Messi – 1 points
