Suffering what is not written against bottom team Almería. Among an avalanche of missed chances and granted opportunities. In a fast-paced, crazy game with plot twists. In the midst of anguish, Barça achieved a victory as essential as it was worked. A victory with an unexpected protagonist, captain Sergi Roberto, who with a double gave the three points to a shaky team with some schoolyard defensive errors. The first half was a judgment call, especially due to attitude. At least, in the second with the departure of Ferran Torres, Barcelona woke up to remove the shame from its face. He had to win the game three times but he pulled through.
Before, Barça arrived at the break groggily and amid whistles, deservedly, from the stands. The performance of Xavi's team was unbearable. Against Almería. Latest. A team that arrived at Montjuïc with only five points and without any victory to take away. A team torn apart and beaten by almost all rivals. Well then. This Almería reached the interval landing in waves in the Barcelona area to the stupor of the staff.
Not even the fact that Raphinha advanced Barcelona from a corner had tempered the spirits of some fearful, disoriented, dull and incapable footballers. The Brazilian hit the net after Araújo made the goalkeeper intervene with a header. A breath of tranquility passed through a restless Olímpic, already fed up with what he was seeing. With the score at 1-0, Lewandowski, denied the shot, forgave the second after a defensive gift from Édgar. The Pole could not beat the goalkeeper. How good it would have been for Barça to extend the lead because shortly after the tie came.
Araújo, an unknown player since he played with a mask, failed a control and gave the ball to Arribas, who set up Leo Baptistão. The former Espanyol player beat Iñaki Peña. The assistant disallowed the goal for offside but after more than a minute of suspense the VAR validated the goal, amidst protests from the Blaugrana. The action was very fair and one thing could have been pointed out as much as the other.
In any case, nothing that justified the painful spectacle that a soulless Barcelona offered. The losses of Pedri due to injury and De Jong, due to suspension, the two lights of the team, were covered by Xavi with the entry of captain Sergi Roberto and Fermín. Behind, a Christensen in flan mode relieved Koundé.
It was soon seen that Barça did not exactly come into action like a cyclone. Despite having gone three games without winning, Xavi's team showed no enthusiasm against such a weak opponent. Even so, Sergi Roberto came close to scoring in one of the worst defended corners in history.
Isolated actions, without any substance, without a pattern, without ideas, with almost nothing. Lewandowski, as always, was an island and João Félix didn't even make an effort. The Portuguese thing was pathetic. At least Raphinha was running.
If with the ball the panorama was drawn barren, without the ball Barcelona became a horror. Almería combined as if they were a team from the noble zone and when they reached the domains of Araújo and Christensen the feeling of danger was evident in every play. Inadmissible.
Xavi couldn't find solutions in the technical area, he became desperate and hung his head. He also seems to have lost a part of his excitement. The one from Terrassa got tired of João Felix's ineffectiveness and replaced him at half-time with Ferran Torres. He also relieved Christensen for Koundé. A double change to try to spur the team.
He did it because Ferran Torres generated much more in two minutes than João Félix did in the entire first half. The vertical Valencian tested Maximiano on a couple of occasions and Lewandowski, more present in this phase, on another. Barça surrounded Almería with more determination and the Andalusians no longer got out easily. In this situation the Blaugrana team moved forward again. It was in another corner. Raphinha bounced it to the near post and Sergi Roberto turned his neck with supine elegance. A very beautiful goal to try to free the Barcelona fans. Now it was necessary not to screw up again and, if possible, to sentence.
Lewandowski, who by then was already dreaming of the Almería goalkeeper, ran into Maximiano again and then failed to give Raphinha a goal. Forgiven chances that carried a high price when Almería made it 2-2 in an absurd action. A very distant lateral foul, Iñaki Peña who runs into Araújo and does not block and Édgar who scores at will. Incredible.
It was time to row again and Xavi burned the ships by turning to Lamine Yamal. But it was not the young man, but the veteran Sergi Roberto who acted as a lethal striker to score the third after a phenomenal assist from Lewandowski. Almería could still have tied but Iñaki Peña redeemed himself after a header from Baba. In the other area Sergi Roberto almost scored a hat-trick but hit the crossbar. Luckily for Barça the scoreboard no longer moved. What a way to suffer. The best thing is that they don't play an official match again until January 4th.
