Don't worry, he'll be showering the badge with kisses on Saturday: the hot notes from Chelsea-Barça

BarcelonaA clear and resounding defeat for Barça against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Ronald Araujo's sending-off in the first half dictated a match that the Blaugrana only controlled in the opening minutes (3-0). Here are some immediate observations.

It's a different league. Flick's first Barça reached the Champions League semi-finals last season, avoiding English teams in both the group stage and the knockout rounds. This year, however, they have already visited two Premier League stadiums in the competition. On matchday one, they struggled to win in Newcastle (1-2). And on matchday five, they lost to Chelsea, the reigning world champions and undisputed contenders for the title.big-earedWhile Barça has lost its edge in big matches – defeats against PSG, at the Bernabéu, and at Stamford Bridge – it must be acknowledged that matching the English side's competitive level in the fight for continental glory will be extremely difficult. What works in league matches will fall short in London, Manchester, or Liverpool.

One more important one. Flick needs to change his approach with Araujo. The German coach insists on starting the Uruguayan in the most difficult situations. He must think that physical strength guarantees solidity in open play, in defending the penalty area, and in the air. Unfortunately, however, the list of errors by the Barça vice-captain on the most important European nights continues to grow. At Stamford Bridge, he was rightly sent off for misjudging his challenge on Cucurella after already being booked for dissent. This stain adds to those against Milan last season and PSG the season before. But don't worry: when we've forgotten all about him, he'll be kissing the badge with kisses after scoring an epic goal against a second-rate opponent, and we'll be praising his commitment.

The center of the field. Barça's defeat at Chelsea cannot be explained solely by Araujo's sending-off. Nor is Pedri's absence enough to justify it – he was at the blues The best was missing—Cole Palmer—or the absence of the best version of Raphinha. We're talking, for example, about De Jong's role, who reappeared with the responsibility of controlling the game and was outplayed at every turn by Caicedo and Enzo Fernández, two prime examples of how to manage and organize from midfield. The Dutchman, insufficient, gifted the ball away before the 2-0, the goal that sealed the match. On the other hand, we shouldn't forget the downgrade Fermín, less talented but more energetic, has taken the starting spot from a theoretical starter like Dani Olmo, who cost 50 million during a time of crisis.

Which full-back lost to Barça? In both attack and defense, Cucurella has become one of the most complete wing-backs in the world. The player from Maresme is now an indispensable part of both Chelsea and the Spanish national team. A lifelong Barcelona fan, he has reached the highest level after developing in smaller clubs like Getafe, Eibar, and Brighton. He earned it after Barça – and to be precise, Ernesto Valverde – realized he lacked the qualities to compete for a starting spot with Jordi Alba, who was Messi's preferred partner at the time. Due to a lack of financial resources, La Masia is now the team's biggest financial burden under Flick. Therefore, we mustn't forget all the homegrown talent that has been squandered on mediocre signings.