Strong with the little ones, weak with the big ones. The Barcelona forward was a steamroller against Elche, bottom of the League, but she barely put Courtois in trouble three times in the fifth classic of the season. The blackout left the Blaugrana team without the Cup final and disqualifies them from being able to do the double.
Barcelona is not enough. One more year. He still doesn't get to compete in two big competitions at the same time. The elimination of the Cup, at the hands of a Real Madrid that delved into the wound with the 0-4, suffers from the same ills as the goodbyes to the Champions League in December and the Europa League in February. He lacks quality in attack to compete face to face with the greats in the exchange of blows.
It happened against Bayern, which he did not score despite the chances in Munich. He repeated himself with Inter and Manchester United, who took a very valuable draw at the Camp Nou. And he was again in evidence against Madrid on Wednesday, where the blaugrana had no ability to react when the whites turned the tie around. There were 40 minutes remaining when Benzema made it 0-2 and Barça lowered their arms, without any intimidation.
Lewandowski collided with Militão and it is well known that he needs a structure around him that supplies him with good balls. Raphinha lacks balance, beyond his good ball strike, he could not leave Camavinga. And Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres, the two revulsives that Xavi brought in, are not going through their best moment. The white defense barely suffered half a scratch.
So little fang is a problem because in the last 16 months, Barcelona renewed Fati and Dembélé and invested, without counting variables, 158 million to hire Ferran Torres, Raphinha and Lewandowski. Three of them have a contract until 2027 while the Pole, who ends in 2026, has the option of extending one more season.
"We have to take note of this and improve, not only with a view to the next games," detected Jordi Cruyff, sports director, as soon as the elimination was confirmed. Despite the operations carried out, in summer it will be necessary to reopen with the scalpel to raise the level further. In Laporta's first stage, Ronaldinho's team did not make the big leap until Eto'o, Giuly and Larsson arrived in 2004.
Many times now Lewandowski finds himself too alone. The goalscorer, who has 27 goals, has only scored in one of the four classics he has played in – he missed the first leg of the Cup due to an injury to his left thigh. He will turn 35 in August but age cannot be the only explanation for his downturn in big events since Benzema is a year older.
But there is more, in five games against the great rival, no player has celebrated more than one goal. Of the seven goals against the Whites, four have been from midfielders (Gavi, Pedri, Sergi Roberto and Kessié) and one was an own goal.
Raphinha and Ansu Fati are the only strikers present in the five classics but while the Brazilian has started four, the youth squad player has not played any at the start. Despite the confidence received and the star band of the Premier, the Canarinha international has only been decisive in the first leg against United and little else. Of the important games, Fati, who continues to readapt after the serious injury he suffered in 2020, has not wet but only one has started: at the Metropolitan in the absence of Lewandowski.
For that same reason Ferran Torres played at the Bernabéu in the Cup. The Valencian has stagnated in the season that, with the World Cup included, should have been his takeoff. He was dry for four months.
Dembélé deserves a special mention. The French winger has been Xavi's favorite since day one but irregularities and, what is worse, injuries haunt him. Every year it is the same story. Since he broke up in Girona he has already missed 13 games. Dembélé did score in the 3-3 against Inter. That is the only big game in which two forwards scored (a brace from Lewandowski), so it is no coincidence that the Camp Nou yearns for the return of Leo Messi. He would be the oldest but his arrival would mean an instant improvement.
