Complete and utter technological chaos, and extremely poor management by Barcelona regarding tickets. Many who had paid a little money to attend the concert were unable to reach the stadium because the club could not provide them with passes. That’s a sorry picture … Barcelona as a modern entity by not knowing how to solve such an initial problem. Anyone can make mistakes, and we live a life full of imperfections, but these recurring situations that are easy to predict and solve cannot happen in “more than just a club” that claims to be international and multinational, and that “the world is watching us.” Great cynicism and incompetence that the press was later accused of making up, but it is what it is, and it causes the problems it causes.
Very little sensitivity from the Barcelona board, which did not ask La Liga to postpone the kick-off to give time to correct the disaster. At the entrances, the national anthem was played by those who were unable to enter. Frenkie de Jong withdraws at the last minute for family reasons.
Alaves scored in the first minute from a corner kick, with more boos due to the accumulated discomfort. The solution that the club took, in light of its inability to solve the technical problems, was to allow everyone to enter through the W entrance, without prior supervision, and for everyone to sit where they could. When we warn many times that the Camp Nou is not complete, we point out, among other things, this.
The first good news for Barcelona came in the eighth minute when Lamin Yamal scored his first home goal. A shot from close range, which was good for the Muslims, and very bad for Olmo, who failed spectacularly with the previous shot. Despite the draw, the atmosphere was tense. People sitting on the stairs, this was not only unsightly for the once again proud stadium, but it was also dangerous in an emergency, and clearly illegal.
Little by little, Barcelona started to lose control of the game, Alaves were not able to do much but they arrived and caused concern. Juan Garcia, once again his team’s hero, denied Alaves another lead in the 23rd minute. On the next play, Dani Olmo corrected his initial mistake and finished the second at will. Ravenha, ubiquitous, is formidable in all aspects of the game. Unbridled participation sets the tone for the team. An extraordinary comeback. The first part was removed, uncomfortable, soulless. Flake line, waffle line, sieve; Had it not been for Joan Garcia’s brilliant stop just before half-time, Barcelona would have ended the first half with a draw or a loss, and it’s unbelievable how little the opposition needed to hurt them.
Kounde and Rashford replaced Eric and Marc Bernal after the break. Juan Garcia is a genius but Severa stopped what he did very brilliantly. Pedri spent half an hour, replacing Rafinha, brilliantly; Ferran came on at the same time for Lewandowski. Longer possession, greater control of the game, and less adventures from Alaves up front, Barcelona controlled the game where they wanted it to be much more than in the first half. He missed the third goal at the end of the match, but a draw seemed unlikely.
Pedri lit everything up with his play, precision and grace. They were not necessarily transcendent plays, nor did they create clear attacking opportunities for his side, but there was quality in every detail, and in every movement there was a reminder that this team has not one Ballon d’Or, but two potential ones, and that it is the Canaries who are offering the best consistency today. Dani Olmo took third place again, but failed again. This boy’s condition is an ordeal, not to mention a shipwreck. He expressed his regret for the failure, but Flick’s face was not large, as if he was disgusted. It is also clear that Alaves failed to equalize on at least two clear occasions, one of them due to another brilliant save from Juan Garcia. At the end, Dani Olmo scored the third goal. Painful win, very Spanish League. In Europe, when you play like this, the greats take you forward.