Lamine Yamal's magic doesn't prevent the stumble in Bruges
The Blaugrana team, who were behind on the scoreboard three times, could only manage a draw at the Belgian team's home ground (3-3)
Barça displayed their defensive fragility in Bruges (3-3) and dropped points in a venue that was supposed to be easy on their path to the Champions League. Lamine Yamal's magic, who scored a stunning goal, wasn't enough to prevent a setback that could have been worse were it not for VAR intervention, which disallowed a goal for the home side in stoppage time.
The first ten minutes in Bruges were symptomatic of the team's current form. On the home side's first chance, the Belgians exposed the fragility of Barça's advanced defensive line, where Araujo and Eric were, once again, the center-back pairing. In a well-executed counter-attack, Forbs set up Tresoldi, who finished too easily past Szczesny. Then, just a couple of minutes later, Ferran Torres leveled the score in a start full of... rock'n'rollFermín – who else? – set up the Valencian, who remains Flick's go-to center forward, and he slotted home the equalizer from close range. The move had been started by Lamine Yamal, who would grow in stature as the game progressed.
With the score tied, it seemed Barça would regain control, as the pre-match script predicted, given the difference in talent between the two teams. But one of football's greatest charms often lies in the fact that scripts can be derailed, even if only briefly. It helped that the defense continued to be shaky, and with another counter-attack, masterfully launched by the Belgians' captain, Vanaken, Club Brugge took the lead again. This time, provider and scorer swapped roles, and after a one-two that exposed the Barça players, Tresoldi assisted Forbs, who finished with quality past Szczesny.
Club Brugge has scored two goals in 20 minutes
In less than 20 minutes, Club Brugge had twice exposed Flick's side, though he maintained a serious expression on the bench. The German coach clearly disliked seeing his team fail to apply the post-loss press effectively, allowing Vanaken to dictate the play and execute the home side's plan: win back possession and exploit the space behind a defense where Koundé seemed like a non-profit organization dedicated to making life easier for Brugge. Falling behind again was a blow to the pride of a Barça side dreaming of lifting the Champions League trophy, the only title that eluded them last season and a competition in which they haven't reached the final for over a decade. Without Pedri, the team's most indispensable player, De Jong and Casadó took center stage in midfield. Barça struggled to connect with Fermín, their most energetic player. The Andalusian was closely marked by the Belgians, although he had had one of the best chances of the first half, with a curling shot from the edge of the area that struck the post just before the home side took the lead. Barcelona dominated possession, but they couldn't change the course of the game. A foray forward by Koundé ended with another shot against the post. Rashford also tried to find an equalizer with a powerful but angled shot that Jackers managed to deflect.
For Barça to translate their overwhelming ball possession (over 70% compared to their opponent) into scoring opportunities, Lamine Yamal stepped up his game. The Barça number 10 began to rediscover his spark, which had been sorely missed in recent matches due to his persistent groin problems. In fact, the winger from Rocafonda was doing special warm-up exercises until moments before kickoff. The best news at the end of the first half, which would finish 2-1, was that Lamine Yamal was increasingly energized and that Barça would finish the first half well, injecting more pace into the game and looking to convert their possession into scoring chances. Ferran almost scored his second, but missed the target after a move that originated from a recovery and a fine slalom run by the Spanish-Guinean.
Lamine Yamal's burst of energy continued after the restart, with a powerful but central first attempt that Jackers comfortably saved. His goal, however, wouldn't be long in coming. A delightful piece of skill from the number 10, imbued with his star quality and complemented by a touch of class from Fermín, leveled the score at 2-2. But Barça seemed determined to squander Lamine Yamal's magic. Bruges regained the lead, thanks to another moment of brilliance from Forbs, who just minutes earlier had wasted a clear-cut chance from point-blank range. Barça's defensive structure was once again exposed. Flick went for broke, bringing on Lewandowski. A cross from Lamine Yamal to the Pole resulted in another Barça goal, after Tzolis deflected the pass into the net. A penalty awarded to Balde was overturned after a VAR review, and, above all, a foul on Szczesny that Vermant converted for the fourth goal, prevented Club Brugge from completely exposing Barcelona's weaknesses.