Problem without a solution?: Barça has 2 clean sheets in the last 12 matches

Beyond the euphoria of turning around an incredible match against Benfica (4-5), the day left much to reflect on for FC Barcelona regarding their defensive work. In addition to the controversial starting position of Wojciech Szczesny, who had a direct impact on two of the four goals scored by the Portuguese, the azulgrana team again allowed too many opportunities at the back.

With Ronald Araujo's own goal in the 68th minute, the home team had scored 4 goals with just 5 shots on target, a statistic that reflects the reality of Barça in their recent matches: every time opponents reach the culé area, there is a very high probability of conceding. Not surprisingly, the team has managed only 2 clean sheets in their last 12 matches (0-4 against Barbastro and 0-2 against Athletic). Interestingly, Szczesny was in goal for both matches.

However, in Lisbon, the Catalan defense never provided security. The Portuguese were leading 1-0 before the 2nd minute, after a run by Álvaro Carreras on the left that caught the culé defense off guard. Then, a mistake in the azulgrana goalkeeper's clearance and a dubious penalty allowed Greek Vangelis Pavlidis to score a 'hat-trick' in the first half hour of play. In total, Barça has conceded 18 goals in their last 12 appearances, an unacceptable record for a team aspiring to win everything in 2025.

Flick and Lewandowski concerned about defensive errors

In the post-match press conference, Hansi Flick acknowledged the problems the team faced in defense, especially at the start of the match. "In the first half, we didn't play well, in transitions they are very good. They made us defend very deep. We weren't in the right position. In the second half, we were better," began the azulgrana coach.

In that sense, he made it clear what Barça needs to improve for the upcoming matches. "We will train it and discuss it in meetings. We will teach the players what they need to do better". More concerned about the defensive errors was Robert Lewandowski. The Pole, despite not having a great night, left Lisbon with a brace after converting two penalties.

"Three goals from Benfica were a gift. It’s better to always score one more goal than the opponent, but we need to learn to play better defensively. Offensively, we also lack some things," argued the Pole, who also valued the importance of avoiding the playoff crossover, two weeks that the team must use to "train things that they normally don't have time to do".