On a bitter evening for FC Barcelona, the 3-2 defeat against Royal Antwerp in the UEFA Champions League group stage left a bittersweet taste in the taste of all culés. Although falling as the first in the group had no impact on qualifying for the round of 16, attention turns to one player whose mistakes made the difference: Oriol Romeu.
The Barcelona midfielder became the main culprit in the defeat as he made two crucial errors that allowed Antwerp’s first two goals. For the first goal, a bad pass from Romeu passed the ball to his rival, allowing him to score the first goal in the first minutes of the game. A failure that showed his difficulty getting something off his back under pressure.
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Antwerp’s second goal also bears the signature of Romeu, who lost the ball dangerously close to the area defended by Iñaki Peña, which put the team in a bad position and led to the rival’s second goal. Two mistakes that are simply unacceptable for an FC Barcelona midfielder in any context.
This game highlights Oriol Romeu’s inability to perform in a team at Barcelona’s level, especially in crucial games. The pressure of the Champions League exposes the midfielder’s limitations and calls into question his ability to perform in high-profile games and in a team constantly chasing titles.
The night in Antwerp left a clear lesson: Oriol Romeu is not the midfielder Barcelona needs in important moments. It remains to be seen how Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández approaches this situation and looks for solutions to strengthen the midfield in the face of the challenges ahead.