Five lessons that Barcelona must learn from their recent loss to Borussia Dortmund – Report | OneFootball

It was clear enough for just about anyone to see that FC Barcelona were not at their usual best against Borussia Dortmund. Thoroughly outclassed by the home side, Hansi Flick’s team were left battered and bruised by the final whistle. While they have now made it to the semi-finals, Barcelona are far from being safe.

Signs of vulnerability definitely creeped in during the recent game, and Hansi Flick’s side no longer looks to be invincible. From individual mistakes to a lack of cohesion as a unit, Barcelona were far from their best and it allowed their German opponents to almost complete a major comeback.

However, if there is one positive, it is that Barcelona can learn from this defeat and have now finally received a wake-up call. As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, there are at least five crucial things that La Blaugrana can learn from this recent defeat.

An overreliance on Pedri:

This game was finally a chance for Hansi Flick to rest Pedri and give him a break. However, as even another journalist has pointed out, Barcelona have no real alternatives to him in the team and he needed to come on during the second half to give the team some control again.

Missing Inigo Martinez:

The veteran Spanish defender has established himself as a guarantee of sorts for Hansi Flick this season and for good reason. His leadership and experience makes players around him play better as well, and his absence clearly showcased just how important his leadership qualities are for this Barcelona backline.

The fatigue has started to catch up:

With barely any rest between games these days, the team is understandably exhausted. The press and intensity just were not at their usual best, and that ended up costing Barcelona quite dearly. However, while Hansi Flick speaks about needing fresh legs, he barely has any opportunities to rotate players.

Individual mistakes are costly:

Across the pitch, Barcelona players were constantly making mistakes in this game. The typical key performers were quite simply not at their best by a long shot, and that resulted in a lot of mistakes being made in attack, in defense, and even by the midfielders. At this stage of the season, these players are expected to do much better.

Struggling to score goals:

Over the last two games, Barcelona have squandered a lot of opportunities. Instead, they have managed to score just two goals in two games, and both of them have been own goals scored by the opposition. This is unacceptable, especially for a team that is regarded as one of Europe’s best attacking sides.

All of these points and lessons are important for the team to address and do so as soon as possible. The games moving forward will be unforgiving, and this would be the worst possible time for Barcelona to start making life difficult for themselves.