What were the best and worst aspects of today’s Copa del Rey semi-final match according to FCBarca.com?
The best: lots of good football with the Dembélé stamp
Xavi repeated the formation with Gavi operating closer to the left at the expense of the nominal winger. This allowed for a numerical advantage in front of the opponent’s penalty area and gave Dembélé more freedom. The Frenchman was the best player in the ranks of Barcelona today. He was often given the chance to continue the action with only one opponent in front of him and he was doing great. He was brave and creative, but also reasonable in his actions. Most of all, however, he scored a goal that was important in advancing to the semi-finals and deservedly received a standing ovation from the fans when he was replaced by Ansu Fati in the 84th minute.
The worst: another nervous ending and Pedri’s problems
Barcelona had everything to decide the game long before its end. Playing with a one-man advantage, however, she could not take full advantage of either Dembélé’s good disposition or Balde’s speed. Accuracy was also lacking in Pedri or Gavi, and Lewandowski had a problem to free himself from the care of defenders. As a result, they again allowed a nervous ending in which Ter Stegen had to double and triple. Germany’s best save, however, came after his own fatal error in handling the ball. Overtime was in the air, and we knew this scenario all too well. To make matters worse, Pedri’s change was dictated by ailments. Let’s hope there will be no long break in the game.
