The never-ending European nightmare

Once again, the European dream of Barcelona abruptly ended in a nightmare at the first exchange. The Blaugrana team was unable to maintain the advantage they had achieved in the first half thanks to a penalty goal and ended up succumbing to the push of a United who in the second part managed to get the game that interested him to be played.

One of Xavi’s strong ideas in the run-up to the match was that to pass a test like Old Trafford you had to be brave. Barça had to wade through a river infested with crocodiles and before situations like this one, one cannot stop to think, put one foot in the water and then take it out to test the water temperature. But you’re not going to go Tarzan and swim right up to the reptiles either. That’s why, The coach’s decision was to go for the game, but with four midfielders, nothing to go and exchange bites with the local bugs, who have already shown more than enough signs of their voracity in recent weeks. Initially, the plan worked, but in the end no one stopped the English.

So with Sergi Roberto and Kessié in the midfield, Barça came out to risk their European future with the idea that the game would be played at a low intensity. From the outset, it was assumed that against this rival and in this scenario, the mission was complicated. United did not let themselves be tamed and came out to bite against a Barça that could not find the rhythm of the game. After three minutes, Ter Stegen saved the first chance against Bruno Fernandes.

Barça had the courage to weather the storm during the first quarter of an hour, hoping to take advantage of their chancewhich came when a past cross from Raphinha went to be rescued by Balde in the face of opposition from Bruno Fernandes, who took him by the arm in an action that Turpin, very close to the action, did not hesitate to punish as a penalty. Silly, but penalty.

Lewandowski took advantage of the gift, with suspense, because after the passage of the usual crane, his shot was deflected by De Gea, but the ball hit the post and slipped into the goal. Barça bit first.

The goal disconnected United from the game, which seemed not to believe what happened and then, yes, the game that Barça wanted began to be played. In an Old Trafford where only the Barça fans could be heard, on the grass they were piling up iaccuracy on both sides. Ugly for the viewer, bad for United, excellent for Barça, who could even have gone into the break with more loot after a mistake by De Gea, who gave the ball to Sergi Roberto inside the area, but neither the Catalan nor later Kessié hit the second blow.

But sooner or later, United was going to come out of that induced coma that Barça applied to them in the first part. The question was to know if Xavi’s men could take advantage of the rush of the English to strike again.

There wasn’t even time to consider that question, because after two minutes Fred tied the game and the scenario changed completely. He went on to play in a boiler and Barça was forced to have to bail out water from the boat.

The party went up in revolutions. Better for the viewer, good for United, a roulette wheel for Barça that in the exchange of blows forced a save from De Gea. But after all, Barça had gotten into the type of game that least interested them and was buying tickets so that the excursion would end badly.

Antony, who had left for Weghorst, scored 2-1 in minute 74 and Barça could only go desperate. The party lived on the wire. Xavi brought on Ansu and Ferran in search of a final arreón, but the truth is that United’s cons gave the feeling that the game was closer to 3-1 than to a draw.

Barça paid dearly for the mistake of conceding the tie as soon as the second half began. There began a new game that Barça did not know how to manage and the European dream was broken again.