Barça looks for a rival in La Liga
The Blaugrana team defeated DUX Logroño 4-0 in a match that was already decided in the first half.
BarcelonaIt only took the first three matchdays of the Liga F to prove that Barça will once again have an easy path to the title. The first argument is the ease with which they destroy their rivals: three wins and 20 (!) goals scored. The second is that their biggest rival, Real Madrid, has already dropped five of a possible six points in their first two matches. The difference is even more evident when Real Madrid, precisely, dropped two points in the first matchday against DUX Logroño, the opponent Barça annihilated this Friday with a 4-0 victory at the Johan Cruyff Stadium. The result isn't as conclusive as this statistic: 36 shots for the home side and only one for the visitors.
Pere Romeu shows no mercy, and in all three matches, he's fielded starting lineups that could easily compete in a Champions League final. Barça may struggle this season to find the depth in their squad to regain the European throne after this summer's departures, but the fact that they are far and away ahead of any other team at the national level is beyond dispute. Because they have players like Aitana, who is capable of finishing with a backheel volley to score a goal. That's how they put Barça ahead in the 21st minute. Because they have players like Aitana, who is also capable of executing a low, precise shot from the edge of the box on the next play to make it 2-0.
What can a team like DUX Logroño do from then on, with no other option than to close down to keep the pressure on Barça's overwhelming superiority? Well, stay closed down to avoid a disastrous result. And the visitors did so with some success for several stretches of the match: they forced the Blaugrana to look for long balls and short-circuited inside passes. But the speed at which Barça moves the ball, sooner or later, ends up creating space for many defensive players to accumulate. Before halftime, Ewa Pajor took advantage of one of those openings to make it 3-0 with a combination play.
The consequence was that the second half was nothing special. Barça slowed down, and DUX Logroño eased off. The lackluster atmosphere at the Johan Cruyff stadium on a lackluster Friday night in late summer didn't help spark the game either. At least this second half allowed Salma Paralluelo to earn her 100th cap for Barça, and Kika Nazareth to round off the victory with a header.
