Barça Edges Past Guadalajara: Match Report & Analysis

This Tuesday against Deportivo Guadalajara, Barcelona achieved a place in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, but they had to suffer a lot. The team led by Hansi Flick, with fewer rotations than expected, took 77 minutes to break down the rival wall and did so with a goal from Christensen, from a carom, after a corner kick. Rashford scored in the final moments to close a lackluster victory, but with enough craftsmanship to avoid a cup KO at the first opportunity.

The Blaugranas achieved it in an afternoon that began with surprises. The first was given by Flick with Ter Stegen as the starter and an eleven with fewer rotations than expected, in which Eric García and Lamine Yamal were permanent players, while the second was on behalf of the organization, which delayed the start of the match for half an hour due to homologation problems in an extra stand. The break did not go well for a Barça team that entered the field lacking rhythm. The culés subdued Guadalajara, but they did so without fluidity in the game, without finding breaks from the second line and barely creating danger with shots from outside the area.

The main opportunities at the beginning of the clash came through this route, but it was more of an emergency solution than a plan. And the thing is that Barça played too horizontally and clashed against a tremendously organized rival in the lower block, who fought all the disputes and knew how to be supportive in helping so that Lamine Yamal, one of the most active, could not at any time have a one on one. Thus, Guadalajara and Pedro Escartín grew as the minutes went by and reached the break without excessive suffering and feeling capable of withstanding, why not, a downpour that was bound to arrive sooner or later.

One more march

After the restart, Barça went up a gear. Flick moved Casadó from the side to the center of the field and brought on Pau Cubarsí to have greater fluidity in the construction of the game. The changes suited the Catalan team, which intensified its dominance with up to 80% possession and turned the game over to Lamine Yamal, who was not lucky, but who did not stop trying. Thus, Barça had two clear arrivals at Rashford’s feet that the Englishman did not take advantage of thanks to an inspired Dani Vicente, providential in both.

From there, emergencies arrived. Barça was having the right attitude, but was unable to dismantle a Deportivo Guadalajara team that was giving up more and more meters. The culé dominance intensified with the entry of Koundé and Pedri, and the goal ended up falling under its own weight. It was after the umpteenth lateral center. This time Christensen caught him, the ball was poisoned after bouncing off a defender and Dani Vicente could do little to prevent a goal that had cost Barça a world and that was going to open the can. Rashford scored in the final minutes, after a great pass from Lamine Yamal, and put the finishing touch to a night without great fanfare, but which allowed Flick’s team to continue with the winning dynamic.