A foolproof plan for when Flick tires: Barça-PSG hot tips

BarcelonaA painful defeat for a Barça side that went from strength to strength against PSG. The Blaugrana team succumbed to the reigning European champions, who took the win in the final minute thanks to a goal from Gonçalo Ramos. Here are some quick notes.

The message Flick wanted to hear. You didn't have to be Sherlock Holmes to sense that Lamine Yamal had it in for PSG. He's very arrogant (perhaps too much, which is why Flick always takes his word for it), but the truth is he has reason to believe it. Just after the first minute, he got the crowd off their feet with a play that would have been a game of 1-0. He received a ball in the middle of the field with his back to the goal and in just a few seconds, after a series of feints and a roulette (!), he played a pass that Ferran just missed. A spectacular performance. Now, let's focus on the action that the Valencian did convert into a goal. Lamine Yamal played a key role. Less conspicuous, but very important, one of those that coaches applaud. He was alive to anticipate Vitinha's poor ball that led to the 1-0. Also, beloved.

A great team and coach. Mayulu, after a great vertical move by Nuno Mendes, tied the game before halftime. Ramos again turned the score around in the final minute of a second half in which PSG had more chances to take all three points. It's safe to say that Barça suffered greatly against a daring team that had a bit more gas in the closing stages. Proof of this is the substitution of Pedri, who left the field with a zombie-like face after a brutal effort. The game also seemed long and drawn out for Lamine Yamal, who Luis Enrique short-circuited with a double left back pass. We wish Flick many years to come, but it's a huge blessing that the Asturian has a Barça heart. Who would say no to one? second round at the Camp Nou?

Guardiola had more than enough. In the first real major match, and with all the squad's center backs available, Flick started with Eric Garcia and Cubarsí in the middle. This was a clear message in favor of opening the ball and countering Araujo's recent fears against PSG. The young defender from Estanyol started the season as a starter, but the Martorell native has earned the label of indispensable following the unexpected departure of Iñigo Martínez to Saudi Arabia. He plays whatever he's told and always does it well. If he has to open the field, he provides solutions for Lamine Yamal; if he has to play in a pivot, he perfects his passing, and if he has to play in a center back, he tires of blocking out dangerous plays despite not being the tallest or the fastest. How fortunate that Guardiola had such a complete player to spare. Let him not be complacent.

Hugs and canapés. Remember when Laporta played into Florentino's hands with the Super League? Remember when Ceferin was the self-interested accomplice of state-owned clubs like PSG? Well, start turning the page, because now the charismatic president of Barça, who is due to renew his mandate soon, is botching the deal with the Parisian giant's boss and sitting with the top UEFA official in the best positions in the Montjuïc box. It's been necessary to come to terms with the European establishment in order to aspire to return to the new Camp Nou before February in the Champions League and to pay less, for now, for the false moves with the club. fair play Financial. And they've also had to act as if nothing happened with the presence of Luis Figo, a UEFA member and sworn enemy of the Catalans, in the stadium's public area. So what?