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Friday, February 7, 2020 at 00:25
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Barcelona found its Waterloo in the Copa del Rey on Thursday evening. A goal from Iñaki Williams in the 92nd minute was the final blow for Frenkie de Jong and his associates and gave Athletic Club the ticket for the semifinals of the Spanish cup tournament: 1-0. Trainer Quique Setién opted for a midfield in Bilbao with Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and De Jong, in which only the Spanish international approached his level somewhat. The Oranje-international may have played its worst match in the Catalan outfit, the newspapers note.
Sport De Jong hands out a four and that is the lowest rating of all Barcelona’s basic players. Apart from Ansu Fati and Ivan Rakitic, both a five, the rest got a pass. The Catalan newspaper saw “a scattered De Jong”. “He just didn’t play in the Barcelona game. He often lost the ball and never felt at ease, “they write about the Oranje-international.” Although he did not hide, he was far away from his best level. “The operations of Rakitic are considered ‘changeable’ labeled. “Sometimes he was present, but just as often absent. He made correct decisions anyway. He supplied the midfield with oxygen by continuously offering himself. ”The performances of Busquets, who get a six, are usually judged by a nickname and this time he was” the spark “of the team. “All the balls went through his feet and he was the one who triggered the attack attempts. He determined the rhythm of the game and encouraged the team. “
Also Mundo Deportivo praises the role of Busquets, although “he appears in the photo at the winning goal of Iñaki Williams.” “At the last air duel of a game in which he played well anyway and he circulated the ball constantly when Athletic withdrew to gasp for air.” The sports newspaper points out that Rakitic cannot afford not to pass Marc-André ter Stegen wanted to play the ball briefly on him a few times. “But he also appeared in Athletic’s penalty area for good reasons, although he was overlooked.” Mundo Deportivo De Jong saw “a discrete first half”. “In the second half, he clearly grew in the match and showed himself in and around the enemy penalty area.”
Marca notes that De Jong wanted to solve everything by playing football and that he was close to scoring a goal. “In the second half, he even played as an attacker because of the absence at the forefront. The number 21 stood out by acting as a “9” at many opportunities, as if he were the replacement for Luis Suárez. “Rakitic is less well placed in Spain’s best-selling sports newspaper. “Very viscous when the ball had to be played and he was very inaccurate in his passes. A bad match. ”The Busquets match has fewer reservations. “He was wary of any Basque counterattack, but he did not reach his usual level when the ball had to be played. The team missed its best version to build the game from behind. ”
Bee AS they have a different opinion about Busquets. “He continues to play good matches since the arrival of Setién. After a somewhat volatile performance in the first half, mainly due to the intense pressure from Athletic, he claimed midfield after the break. He easily divided the game from Barcelona and always offered solutions. ”The sports newspaper from Madrid once again saw De Jong play ‘disappointing’. “The Dutchman still fails to reach his level. After the break he flourished somewhat, but it was changeable. With his game, he was more focused on the goal of Athletic this time and the team could certainly appreciate that. ” AS continues to be surprised about the sporting decline of Rakitic. “He did what he had to do: the dirty work. But he is startling how he keeps making mistakes as soon as he gets the ball. ”
ElDesmarque scatters unsatisfactory; only Clément Lenglet and Lionel Messi (both six) receive a pass from the popular medium. Rakitic and De Jong receive a three and therefore the lowest rating. “De Jong is still far from his best level. He made the necessary mistakes in possession of the ball. ”Rakitic is also reluctant. “Slowly, out of place and he got lost in midfield. He made mistakes as soon as he lowered himself to pick up the ball and he was overlooked as he sat down behind the attackers. A gray match. ”A five was the number that Busquets received. “He didn’t have the easiest task against Athletic’s powerful midfield. But he didn’t hesitate for a moment, reached his level and provided the balance the team needed. In any case, he will be reminded of the moment of the goal against. “
El Periódico is a striking dissonance, since De Jong receives a seven from the Catalan newspaper. The fat failures are for Rakitic and Ter Stegen, who both receive a four. “Barcelona could have decided the game, with two big chances, but there was a lack of finesse in the completion”, as can be read. “A line can now pass through the Copa del Rey, just like the Supercopa three weeks ago. The crisis with this confused team is only getting worse. If things go bad, things can always get worse. “
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