MILAN — Robert Lewansdowski has not scored in three games this season and Barça have not won a single one of them. In fact, he has lost two and has not scored in any of the three. Barça misses the Pole’s goals so much that Xavi encouraged his teammates to add to his effectiveness in front of goal… but there’s no way. It is like a curse that was increased in Milan by Pedri’s disallowed goal and that caused bitter complaints from the Barça coach who, however, must find a remedy for this circumstance.
Lewandowski, due to his invisibility, was one of the protagonists, although not the only one in a defeat that will be seen in a month if it was a simple accident that will not be remembered or a full-fledged collapse.
Another proper name was Christensen, who joined the tragedy of the center-backs, after the injuries of Koundé and Araújo, to leave injured at the beginning of the second half and suffer, as reported by the club, a sprain of the external ligament of the left ankle. The recovery of him for the Classic is ruled out.
LEWANDOWSKI
Second outing to Europe and second match in which the Pole was left unscored. Unlike in Munich, where he had good chances and was a constant nuisance for Neuer, he went practically unnoticed on the Giuseppe Meazza lawn, with a single intentional but erroneous shot, well annulled by the local defense and although he tried to collaborate in terms of unchecking and fast combinations, the horrible game of his offensive teammates dragged him into an invisibility that can be considered worrying.
Mark Alonso
Xavi had him as a starter in Munich and he did not do it again until this new exit from the Champions League. Lacking rhythm and also lacking confidence, the Madrid winger put all his effort into it but showed many gaps in the combination game, it was difficult for him to recover his position and he only stood out in a couple of defensive anticipations, when he was in the area . Barça created much more and suffered much less after Balde’s entry.
CHRISTENSEN
He retired in pain… And the club reported an injury that, in the absence of more evidence in Barcelona, is out of the Clásico, adding to the casualties of Araújo and Koundé. From here on there is nothing left but Èric García… and Gerard Piqué, who would go from being the fifth and invisible central defender to taking an unexpected leading role in the first decisive moment of the season.
DEMBÉ’S
He completed a strange match, to put it mildly. If Raphinha was between sterile and disappeared, Dembélé appeared many times… And almost all of them to make wrong decisions. Just two good centers and a shot to the post in 90 minutes in which he abused both his anarchy and his dribbling too much and passing too little. There are days that Dembélé is talked about as if he were the quintessence of world football… And others in which it is shown that to approach that consideration he would have to improve, enormously, his performances.
