FC Barcelona once again showcased its defensive vulnerabilities. In Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Club Brugge, the match ended in a dramatic 3-3 draw, despite Barcelona narrowly avoiding defeat.
Under Hansi Flick’s leadership, the team made costly positioning errors and conceded goals following simple losses of possession. Among Spanish fans, calls for a goalkeeper change have grown louder.
As noted by “Sport”, “Szczęsny appears to be inviting Joan Garcia’s return”. This sentiment seems to encapsulate the mood in Barcelona. The statistics tell a grim tale. While the Catalan giants have managed to score in 51 consecutive matches, they’ve also conceded in their last nine games. This includes eight goals allowed since the start of the season with Wojciech Szczęsny as the man between the posts.
The clash in Brugge proved to be one of Szczęsny’s most challenging tasks since joining Barcelona. Although he made several spectacular saves to keep his team in the game, the media were heavily critical of his performance. According to “Mundo Deportivo,” Szczęsny “could have done more to prevent the first two goals”.
Additionally, his reluctance to step out and play higher up the field left the defense exposed to quick counterattacks. In the second half, he conceded a third goal, and the closing moments of the match brought a tense situation where he came dangerously close to making a critical mistake.
As a result, discussions about Joan Garcia’s return, currently sidelined due to injury, are becoming more frequent. All signs suggest that, as long as he is ready to play, he will replace Wojciech Szczęsny as the goalkeeper.