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Barcelona are through, but that was virtually all you could say about them. Quique Setien’s side – although only just, if reports from Catalonia are to be believed – progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League thanks largely to the individual luminosity of Lionel Messi and the profligacy of their opponents. And yet in doing so they looked leaden and reactive, disjointed and disenchanted, producing a performance that will embolden rather than overawe their remaining rivals in the competition.
In a way, this was the modern Barcelona in microcosm: more than good enough for the average mid-table pretender, and yet ponderous and largely reactive in the face of a drilled attacking pattern and an opponent determined to keep the ball from them. It is why they were pipped to the La Liga title by Real Madrid and why, barring a dramatic uptick in form, are still likely to endure their first trophyless season since 2008. Continue reading...