BARCELONA “SWEAT” INTO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS: COACH FLICK’S PLAN GOES BANKRUPT
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick wanted Pedri to rest against Dortmund, until the situation forced him to change. Thanks to that, the match result was opened to a new page and led to a surprising result.
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NO PEDRI, NO CONTROL
A 4-0 first-leg win and a tight schedule ahead in the quest for the treble have prompted coach Hansi Flick to rotate his squad when travelling to Dortmund.
Inigo Martinez’s rest was a calculated decision, to avoid the risk of a yellow card that would see him miss the first leg of the semi-finals.
However, Pedri’s absence from the starting line-up was something few expected.
Pedri came off the bench and quickly helped Barcelona regain control of the game against Dortmund
The Spanish midfielder has been an indispensable factor for Barcelona under coach Flick.
Before this match, he had a streak of 17 consecutive starts for the Catalans.
The last time Pedri did not start was on 26 January, when he suffered from gastritis and could not play in the 7-1 win over Valencia.
In that match, his absence did not have much of an impact on the game. But at Signal Iduna Park, things were completely different.
Pedri was the one who brought control to Barcelona’s play, something the Catalans had completely lacked in the first half.
Frenkie De Jong and Gavi tried to take on the task in midfield but were constantly overwhelmed by the high pressing of Dortmund‘s players.
Along with the system of two full-backs pushing very high, coach Niko Kovac deployed to nurture the hope of creating a miraculous comeback.
BARCELONA’S PLAN WENT BANKRUPT
Although he may have considered substituting at halftime, Coach Flick decided to be patient when Barcelona was only 1 goal behind.
But as soon as Dortmund made it 2-0, the German coach immediately asked Pedri to speed up his warm-up.
As the Spaniard was about to enter the field, Barcelona reduced the gap thanks to an own goal.
However, Flick stuck to his decision and brought Pedri on for Gavi in the final half hour of the match.
Flick initially wanted Pedri to rest, but the plan didn’t work out
Pedri’s presence immediately helped Barcelona regain control. His composure and ability to control the tempo helped the Catalans to reduce the pressure from the hosts, keep the ball better and create some notable attacks.
However, things fell into chaos after Guirassy completed his hat-trick, giving Dortmund hope of a comeback.
Flick explained: “Pedri has been playing a lot of games recently. Tonight is the time for him to rest.”
Pedri was able to rest, which was important given Barcelona’s many important games ahead. But even though he only played for 30 minutes, he still made a clear mark.
Barring any injury or unforeseen problems, the Spanish midfielder is almost certain to return to the starting lineup in the coming matches, as Barcelona continue their race to conquer the great “treble” this season.
SZCZESNY AND THE SWEET END
It was not a great game for goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, although perhaps he has accepted that fact since he decided to withdraw his decision to retire last September.
Goalkeeper Szczesny makes 8 saves for Barcelona against Dortmund
After a 22-match unbeaten streak for Barcelona, the Polish goalkeeper tasted defeat for the first time, ending his title as the Catalan team’s “talisman”.
However, the consolation for the former Arsenal star is much greater than the fact that for the first time in his career, he is in the Champions League semi-finals.
In fact, Szczesny made a mistake when he fouled Gross in the penalty area, a somewhat unlucky situation when the Dortmund player was not in a favorable shooting position.
However, the Polish goalkeeper showed his solidity in the following minutes and made a number of significant saves, especially against Adeyemi and Gross’s shots at the beginning of the second half.
In addition, Szczesny also had a nice action when he quickly ran to help Araujo to stand up after the third goal, a situation in which the Uruguayan center-back made a mistake that led to Guirassy’s hat-trick for Dortmund.
Although Ter Stegen is entering the final stages of his recovery, Szczesny is still almost certain to start in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich or Inter Milan.
In case Barcelona reach the final, the Polish goalkeeper will most likely still be the number 1 choice, but it is not possible to rule out the possibility that coach Hansi Flick will give Ter Stegen the starting position, similar to the scenario of Courtois and Lunin at Real Madrid last season.
