A match to silence the critics: the immediate aftermath of Barça-Levante

BarcelonaBarça regain the La Liga lead just six days after losing it. A 3-0 victory against Levante in a one-sided match proved more than enough to capitalize on. Real Madrid's mistake against Osasuna. Here are some quick notes.

The League is getting closer. If they avoid more accidents marred by controversial refereeing decisions like those at Anoeta and Montilivi, Barça will win La Liga. It's true that the gap with Real Madrid is only a single point, but the difference in reliability between the two title contenders is much greater. While Barça tend to steamroll almost everyone with a recognizable style of play that goes beyond mere clinical finishing in midfield and in the penalty areas, the meringues They have little plan beyond Mbappé's nose for goal and Courtois' saves. When Flick's team regains its cruising speed, the domestic league title will fall into place like ripe fruit because their eternal rival will falter again. In Europe, it will be a different story.

That's more like it. Levante, with one foot in the Second Division and struggling to defend down the flanks, visited the Camp Nou. It was an ideal scenario for rotation, Flick thought, so he rested Cubarsí and Fermín and started Cancelo at left-back. The Portuguese player, who had played little, if at all, in the last month, had a fantastic game. He wasn't tested much defensively, which is where his weaknesses have caused the coach to doubt him, but in attack he unleashed his repertoire of feints and assists. Cancelo, much improved compared to the Balde of recent weeks, silenced his critics in a setting perfectly suited to his qualities. It remains to be seen if he can offer greater reliability against top-tier opponents.

You can mark many more. A closed-mouth ration also for the numerous haters De Jong. One of the favorite criticisms of the Dutchman is his lack of presence in the opposition's penalty area. We know he doesn't shoot often and, therefore, scores fewer goals than a player of his caliber should. But he caused problems for Levante in a static attacking move. He made a run towards Ryan's goal, and Cancelo laid the ball on a plate for him, which he simply had to tap into the net. Who knows if De Jong had identified the Valencians' weakness minutes earlier, when Bernal scored his second goal for Barça's first team in a similar move. Be that as it may, it's fantastic news that the midfielders are contributing defensively.

Mass gathering with privileged views. With one week to go before the deadline for submitting signatures prior to the official announcement of the candidacies, it's clear that Laporta has a significant advantage over the other three contenders. The former president won't have any trouble gathering enough support. He doesn't need to make any promises to get to the polls. His charisma, whether he's cooking pasta in a casual bar or singing along to Lo Pau de Ponts songs, is already working for him. After lunch, he and his entourage went to watch the match with prime tickets. They were in the stands, right behind the VIP box they want to keep occupying. They surely paid for them. What's surprising is that they found them all together now that season ticket holders don't have assigned seats and sit wherever they can.