FC Barcelona was painfully eliminated by Athletic Club in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, and the criticism was not long in coming. Among the allegations, some players stand out because they fell short of expectations in the game in San Mamés.
-Iñaki Pena: Iñaki Peña, the Culé goalkeeper, received harsh criticism for his performance. He made mistakes early on which led to the first goal against him and despite some outstanding interventions he was criticized for a lack of control in his area. The half-hearted start and indecision were aspects that unfortunately affected his participation in the game.
Weightless midfielders
-Pedri: Pedri, one of Barcelona's young stars, also received questions about his performance. In the fight for the wide zone he was classified as “harmless” without being able to assert himself against his red and white opponents. Although he made a positive contribution by complicating the opposition's defense in scoring the equalizer, his contribution quickly diminished before he was substituted.
-Frenkie de Jong: Frenkie de Jong, who tried to be proud at the end of the game, was described as “powerless”. Despite his latest tantrum, he failed to contribute in the pragmatic and hierarchical way that Barcelona needed. It is notable that his intervention on Sancet's comfortable shot for Athletic's second goal could have been more effective with a different approach.
Elimination from the Copa del Rey presents the Barça team with the task of reflecting on their performance and looking for solutions to the challenges ahead.