When trying to win an acute, it is important that a team can collect points when they are not at its best, and that is just what Barcelona did in a 4-3 victory over Celta Vigo on Saturday. The goals of Raphinha and Dani Olmo helped to turn around what was a 3-1 deficit in the 62nd minute for Hansi Flick’s men to secure the three points.
It has been an emotional week for Barcelona after reserving its place in the semifinals of the Champions League after overcoming Borussia Dortmund, but the games will not stop soon. During the week, Flick called for the congestion of the schedule, saying: “Each league protects their clubs when they play in the Champions League. We have no time to rest.” Justo during April, Barcelona will have three remaining games with a league match against Mallorca, the final of the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid and the first leg of the semifinal of the Champions League, where they will face Inter from the end of the month (you can see Barca Vs. Inter in Paramount+).
These are not games in which Barcelona can rotate a lot with trophies and games with high bets soon, and even this clash showed why. Flick tried to rest to players like Lamine Yamal and Gavi, which led Barcelona to allow a hat Trick to Borja Iglesias, giving them a great deficit to work.
It was not long after players like Yamal and Olmo entered the game to have an impact, since Olmo scored only five minutes after his introduction, before Yamal helped a raphinha goal only four minutes later. Barcelona’s attack returned to what was expected, and finally, Raphinha was able to convert a penalty into the eighth minute of the game time of the second half for Barcelona to claim the three points.
In the epic season of the Brazilian so far, this now leads to 28 goals and 20 assists in all competitions for Barcelona. He has been a true Ballon d’Or contender and is taking to this side back to the upper sections of the League, since now seven points of Real Madrid have remained on the table for now.
They were not all smiles for Barcelona with striker Robert Lewandowski out of the game due to muscle discomfort. It will be evaluated, but with so many nearby games, Barcelona cannot allow Lewandowski to waste a long time. The Polish striker has scored 40 goals and helped three more for Barcelona in all competitions this season, his best return since his 2021-22 season, where he scored 50 in all competitions for Bayern Munich. With Lewandowski as a focal point, Flick has been able to create an attack that can generate fear in any team in the world, so Barcelona is running for a sharp.
The next in that search will be a classic that faces Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on April 26, and if Lewandowski cannot make that game, it will be a great loss for the team. Real Madrid has been out of place, being beaten in the champions league game by Arsenal, but in rivalry matches, the form goes out the window, especially when a trophy is at stake.
Flick has been able to press the right buttons so far this season, but he will have to continue doing so, since Barcelona cannot afford to slip during the next games. It is always a challenge to win an acute, but with the congestion of the games for players around the world who grow per season, it becomes a more difficult feat every time it ends. Barça has it in the view, and the first real step is next Saturday against the whites.
