Barcelona Femeni’s record of 79 consecutive home wins ended yesterday when the team drew 1-1 with Levante in the Liga F. It was the second time this season that Barcelona were forced to a draw, with their 4-4 draw against Benfica in the Champions League being the first of its kind.
Although the Bluagrana dominated the game for the most parts, they were unable to double their lead after Salma Paralluelo had put them ahead in the 21st minute.
Barca then lost possession of the ball and concede for the fourth time in the league this season when Alba Redondo equalized for Levante in the 55th minute.
Here are a few talking points from the game:
Squandered opportunities
Often times this season we have seen Barcelona win games with a high goal margin. However, yesterday was not one of such games with the team failing to find the back of the net more than once.
Their failure to score goals would be understandable if the team failed to create goalscoring chances. However, Barcelona created enough goalscoring chances to win the game but were just too wasteful in attack and it ended up costing them two points.
Barcelona’s shots on goal were either fired straight at the goalkeeper or wide off the goalpost. It was a bad day at the office for Barcelona as even Caroline Graham Hansen who has been in fine goalscoring form this season missed a few chances to secure the win for Barcelona.
Levante’s well organized defense hindered Barcelona from creating as many chances as they usually do. But under such circumstances is when lethal and clinical attack makes all the difference.
Wrong substitution choices
With the game at 1-1 and Barca seeking to score a second goal, the head coach was forced to make some changes in the game. Salma Paralluelo and Ingrid Engen were replaced with Vicky Lopez and Claudia Pin respectively.
Barcelona’s top scorer this season Caroline Graham Hansen cut an obviously frustrated figure for larger parts of the game as she failed to find the back of net repeatedly. Mariona Caldentey also played in the midfield for most parts of the game and barely made any contribution in attack.
In a game where the team was is search of goals and the attack was failing to provide any solutions, goalscorer Salma Paralluelo was the only forward causing a stir in the opposition’s defense. However, she was the player that was replaced, and not for a forward but a midifielder.
In need of a goal to secure all three points, Barcelona’s substitutions resulted in an overload in midfield. A frustrated Graham Hansen left isolated in attack and no Salma Paralluelo to run in behind the opposition’s defense, Barcelona’s stream of endless passing barely posed any danger to the organized Levante defense.
Indecisive plays
Another factor that cost Barcelona a win was their indecisiveness in attacking phases of the game. A delayed pass, dribbling and turning back into opposition defenders, blind crosses aiming for no one in particular, and a few players holding onto the ball for too long reduced Barcelona’s chances of getting a goal.
The team’s indecisiveness helped the opposition’s defense force them out of danger zones and leaving the attack toothless. Despite their struggles in the latter minutes of the game, all Barcelona had to show was a series of endless passes and crosses with little to no success in an attempt to carve the opposition’s defense.
Although the game ended in a draw with both teams sharing the spoils, Barcelona still remains at the top of the league standings and will face Atletico de Madrid in their next league match on February 18.
