Three games without Robert Lewandowski, penalized for his red card and disregard for the referee at El Sadar, and Barcelona have won all three games 1-0. The same result that occurred at the Metropolitan was repeated at the Camp Nou against Getafe and it was worth it in Girona. Meager victories and wins by the minimum. Three goals and nine points in the bag without the star signing of the summer. You cannot ask for more effectiveness.
However, the absence of Barcelona's top scorer, far from serving to find reliable alternatives in the face of the tight schedule that is coming, has left the forwards who had to replace Lewandowski as designated. Neither Ansu Fati nor Ferran Torres nor Raphinha have passed the exam. The goals have been signed by Dembélé and Pedri (2).
In the three league games that the Pole has missed, Ansu Fati has occupied the position of nine at Barça. Xavi has always opted for him from the start. The youth squad, interesting and electric as a shock, is not found. He has not managed a single shot between sticks, for two misdirected and three blocked. But it is that in 228 minutes, he has only tried one dribble... without success.
Ferran Torres has barely had a few minutes because he was sent off at the Metropolitano for getting into a fight with Savic. The Valencian was sanctioned with two games and has not been able to help. He now returns with Lewandowski but curiously he did not play a minute in the Super Cup or Cup final against Real, when he could.
Finally, Raphinha lives in the vagueness. He started against Getafe (assist) and Girona, where he lost the ball 24 times and where seven of his 8 crosses did not find a finisher. Looking at the panorama, it is better understood that Xavi, after Dembélé's injury, ended up without forwards in Montilivi. Balde and Kessié came on for Ansu Fati and Raphinha, respectively, to defend the 0-1.
