LIGHTNOVELWORLD chapter 179
179 – Struggle
In EPL, the existing powerhouse teams crumbled, and new storm teams emerged. In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich, Leipzig, and Dortmund continued to clash. In Serie A, instead of Juventus, AC Milan took the lead.
La Liga was similar to before.
Barcelona and Real Madrid fought for first place, with Atletico Madrid closely following behind.
“The current league table is quite interesting, don’t you think?”
“Real Madrid, led by new coach Bruno Casoara, is in first place with 50 points from 16 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in 19 games.”
“Fernando Alvarez is also showing impressive goal-scoring skills, and their midfield and defense are very solid.”
“But Barcelona is not to be underestimated. Despite concerns about their weakened lineup after releasing many players, they are still closely following Real Madrid with 15 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss.”
Barcelona, who faced a financial crisis and released many key players, was expected to weaken, but the result was different.
In the first half of the season, they recorded 15 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss in 19 games. Although they added two losses in the Champions League and cup games, they still topped their Champions League group and advanced to the next round of the Copa del Rey, making their struggles seem minor.
“Barcelona is recording impressive results, but experts and fans are still worried, right?”
“Yes, despite their good performance, there are concerns about their internal instability.”
“Why is that? They’ve only lost three games in the first half of the season, which is a great achievement.”
The commentator revealed a well-known fact.
“It’s because Barcelona is a team that starts and ends with one player.”
The first half of Barcelona’s season can be summed up as relying heavily on that one player.
Their performance wasn’t limited to defense or buildup. Whenever the team needed it, that player would showcase their unique clutch ability, turning losing games into draws and draws into wins.
The reason for Barcelona’s good performance in the first half was hidden in that fact, which is why experts and fans were worried.
“But isn’t that player known for their consistency? They’ve always shown their best form since their debut, and they’re also known for being injury-free, so maybe we’re overthinking this.”
The commentator prepared a rebuttal, and the analyst shook their head, manipulating the screen.
“Actually, Barcelona received criticism for relying too heavily on that player last season, when they achieved the quadruple. It’s not a new issue. But the bigger problem is in the second half of the season.”
“Is it the physical condition of that player?”
“Of course, that’s an issue. The physical condition is definitely a concern. But a bigger problem is that Barcelona’s pattern is too simple. It’s too predictable.”
The analyst replayed some highlights from Barcelona’s first-half games.
After a few highlights, the analyst stopped the video.
“As you can see, Barcelona’s pattern has been broken. As I mentioned earlier, they start and end with that one player. It means that if you stop that player, you can stop Barcelona.”
“But no team has been able to stop that player so far. Will things change in the second half?”
“Of course.”
The analyst spoke firmly.
“Last season, there were many players who supported that player, but this season, that player is isolated. They might feel lonely among their teammates. Jose needs to find a way to alleviate that player’s burden.”
The concern about Barcelona’s second half was becoming a reality.
After winning the Ballon d’Or, the broadcast about the player became a huge topic.
* * *
The concern became a reality.
Barcelona’s second half was a series of struggles, with most games not going smoothly.
Teams that analyzed Barcelona and that player in the first half responded in their own ways, with weaker teams employing “anti-football” tactics, tightly marking the opponent and waiting for counterattacks.
With medium-pressure tactics, it was impossible to control that player, so teams deployed fast players to create counterattack opportunities, which had a bigger effect than expected.
The problem was that few teams could respond effectively to “anti-football” tactics.
Even strong teams struggled against “anti-football” tactics, and some teams that employed them even managed to hold their own against top teams.
It was a common issue in football that even strong teams struggled against “anti-football” tactics.
Of course, there were ways to break through “anti-football” tactics, but it was a difficult task.
For instance, Munich would use a strong post player and a meticulous pattern play to break through, while Manchester City would rely on individual players with exceptional dribbling skills to create a dazzling passwork.
Real Madrid, with their “goal-scoring” attackers, was the easiest team to score against.
Objectively, Barcelona’s attacking lineup wasn’t lacking.
Central striker Iker Rodriguez was an excellent technician, and Mark Guigu was a superb off-the-ball attacker. Rodrigo Silvio also possessed a solid technique and a robust physique, making him a well-rounded attacker.
But if you asked if they could single-handedly shake off the opposing defense, you’d have to shake your head.
They were excellent but not quite the best players.
Last year, they would pour in more numbers on the attack and, if that didn’t work, rely on Juzi’s sudden overlapping to resolve the issue.
Through this strategy, they achieved the quadruple, which was indeed an unbeatable tactic.
Naturally, Barcelona also won many games this season using the same approach.
However, the overall weakening of the team and the absence of players who could support Juzi led to limitations.
Even Juzi couldn’t just dribble past everyone and score goals from the back.
Juzi’s dribbling success rate wasn’t 100%, and neither was his passing success rate. Juzi, too, made mistakes – that’s football.
Juzi, who usually enjoyed taking risks, would make more mistakes and take greater risks when forced to play desperately.
Of course, there were times when he overcame his limitations and brought victory, but he couldn’t do that every game.
[Ah… Barcelona suffered a disappointing 0:1 loss in the 24th round away game against Celta Vigo.]
[The early goal in the first half was too painful. Juzi played until the end, but it seemed like he was sighing in frustration.]
[This widened the gap with Real Madrid to 4 points. For Barcelona, who were desperately chasing, this was a regretful loss.]
24th round against Celta Vigo.
After conceding a penalty kick due to Julien Papon’s rough tackle in the 9th minute, Barcelona had to play with 10 men from the 20th minute after Papon was sent off.
Despite being down a man, Barcelona launched a fierce attack against a compact Celta Vigo, creating multiple chances with Juzi’s exceptional skills, but ultimately ended up empty-handed due to a combination of bad luck and referee decisions.
In the following 25th round against Valencia, Barcelona drew again, putting on a lackluster performance against a weaker team.
However, they surprisingly maintained a high winning percentage against strong teams.
[Barcelona won again in El Clásico! Real Madrid couldn’t overcome “conqueror” Juzi!!]
[Ah, Fernando Alvarez must be very disappointed. Despite scoring multiple goals against Barcelona, who were led by Juzi, Juzi’s incredible performance, with 1 goal and 1 assist, secured a 3:2 victory.]
[Barcelona’s pattern of losing points to mid-table teams but taking points from strong teams like AT Madrid or Real Madrid was indeed bizarre this season.]
As the second half of the season progressed, this phenomenon only intensified, and eventually, Barcelona finished third in the league after drawing with Granada in the final match.
But the fans weren’t disappointed.
In the tournaments, Barcelona showcased their extraordinary strength, securing early wins in the Supercopa de España and Copa del Rey, and advancing to the Champions League final.
Although they finished third in the league, the possibility of a treble still remained.
The team that stood in the way of Barcelona’s Champions League title was Manchester City, the same team that had lost to Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals last year.