FC Barcelona fell on Sunday against Leganés (0-1) in the first of two matches of suspension that Hansi Flick must serve in LaLiga. Against the 'pepinero' team, the German opted for a more experienced lineup than usual in terms of average age, due to a surprising rotation in defense. In the end, the gamble did not pay off, as the culés suffered their second consecutive home defeat in the tournament.
The coach lined up an XI with an average age of 25 years and 240 days, with Pau Cubarsí on the bench for the second time this season (23 matches between La Liga and Champions). The only time the '2' was a substitute before Sunday was during the visit to Villarreal (1-5), a match where the man from Heidelberg opted for Sergi Domínguez as a partner for Iñigo Martínez.
Against the 'pepineros', the opportunity came for Eric García, who had only played one match in his natural position (center-back) this season. It was in the derby against Girona (1-4), where he partnered with the Basque in the last half hour. The '24' played 74 minutes against Lega, being replaced by Pau. Iñigo continues to accumulate minutes this season, having only rested against Osasuna, and in the remaining 22 matches, he has always been a starter.
Barça still struggles to find its ideal XI in La Liga
For Hansi Flick, the defeat against Leganés highlights the need to make adjustments to the lineup for the upcoming matches. Barça has only managed to win one of its last six matches in the tournament, with a record of 3 losses and 2 draws in which the team has conceded 9 goals. In fact, the culés have not kept a clean sheet since the Clásico against Real Madrid (0-4) and, in attack, except for the match against Mallorca (1-5), the scoring has also cooled down.
Robert Lewandowski could only score a couple of goals during that period (one against Celta, another against Betis), while Lamine Yamal has not 'scored' since the visit to Santiago Bernabéu. Dani Olmo has also not been sharp, whose last offensive contribution was a brace against Espanyol on November 3rd. Raphinha, the 'ace' of the culés in recent weeks, also failed to score against Betis or Leganés.