Barcelona’s First Win of 2024 Reveals Weaknesses to Address

Barcelona secured their first victory of 2024 against Las Palmas, but the win was far from convincing, unveiling some areas that need improvement.

The match began with Barcelona conceding first, requiring a scrappy goal from Ferran Torres and a late Ilkay Gundogan penalty to complete their comeback. Despite the win, Las Palmas protested vehemently against the referee’s decision to award the penalty.

Barcelona’s defensive vulnerabilities were once again exposed, particularly down the left flank where Alejandro Balde’s overlapping runs created ample gaps for Las Palmas to exploit. The defensive lapse allowed the opponents to breach Barca’s defense in just 12 minutes, with ex-Barca players Munir Haddadi and Sandro Ramirez combining for the goal. Xavi will likely scrutinize Balde and Christensen for their roles in the conceded goal.

While Barcelona exhibited midfield solidity with Frenkie De Jong and Sergi Roberto dominating possession, Gundogan, though a bit slow, performed adequately. However, a closer look at the attacking trio reveals that only Ferran Torres posed a serious threat in the final third. Raphinha often found himself forced backward, and Lewandowski managed only eight touches in the first half, with Ferran being the sole scorer among the starting forwards.

The performances of Raphinha and Lewandowski fell short, prompting Xavi to substitute them off before the 80th minute. Barcelona can build on this win, but improvements are necessary to compete with Girona and Real Madrid in their quest to retain the La Liga crown.

A visual breakdown highlights Barcelona’s weaknesses in the Las Palmas game, emphasizing the areas marked with yellow circles.