A night to forget: Barcelona Femení 1, Levante 2

The great Johan Cruyff once said “Football is a game of mistakes. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins.” This lesson hit hard for Barcelona Femení over the weekend.

Fresh off their Supercopa victory, the team suffered their first ever defeat at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. What should have been an easy win, ended up being a difficult night for Barça Femeni. A 16 game winning streak in Liga F lost.

The frustration on Kika Nazareth’s face was indicative of the disappointment among the teams and fans alike. A lackluster performance from the team saw them being defeated 1-2 by Levante, a side facing relegation.

This fixture marked new signing Ellie Roebuck’s second start for Barça Femení. Ingrid Engen was also included in the starting XI after rumours of her being linked to Lyon on deadline day. This decision by Pere Romeu appeared to be made last-minute due to Patri Guijarro’s injury and Keira Walsh’s departure.

At first glance, the lineup that Romeu started looked to be strong. With names like Aitana Bonmatí and Caroline Graham Hansen in the lineup, victory seemed all but certain. But there was clearly something fundamentally wrong within the team.

A poor display

Barcelona dominated possession in the first half and had some good opportunities to open the scoring. However, their finishing was subpar and this ultimately came back to haunt them. The first half saw multiple attempts on goal. The two biggest chances came from Salma Paralluelo, but she was unable to capitalise. With two big chances missed, it was clear that this would be a difficult night for the team.

The second half also saw Barça dominating the ball but Levante was ultimately the stronger side. The scoring was opened in the 50th minute by Levante’s Maria Casado. The rest of the second half saw multiple attempts from Barça, but yet again, none were successful. Romeu used up all five substitutions in the second half. Alexia Putellas, Fridolina Rolfö, Ewa Pajor, Mapi Leon and Claudia Pina were subbed on to improve Barça’s performance. This was to no avail, as in extra time they conceded a second goal. Ivonne Chacon exploited the weakness in Barcelona’s defence and tapped in from close range. Rolfö converted Graham Hansen’s pass in the 96th minute to make the scoreline 1-2. By this point it was too late. Full-time and Barcelona suffered their first loss of the season in Liga F.

What went wrong for Barcelona Femení?

47 shots, 13 on target, yet the team only managed to find the back of the net once. It was a clear contrast to the dominant display against Real Madrid in the Supercopa final. Despite the fact that Barça controlled the ball for the majority of the game, something was clearly off.

The downfall of the team was due to a combination of poor communication, fatigue among the players and questionable tactical decisions. The weaknesses from the fixture against Manchester City resurfaced during the Levante fixture and exposed the cracks in the squad. A scene which has become almost symbolic of Romeu’s tenure is his poorly timed substitutions. This was clear during the City game, where Barça lost all their momentum during the second half. The second half substitutions against Levante disrupted the team’s flow and it took time for them to regain their rhythm. These decisions left Barça vulnerable and both City and Levante capitalised on these weaknesses and took control of the games.

With the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-finals fast approaching, Romeu and his staff must go back to the drawing board. These small tactical missteps could cost the team greatly against powerhouses like Chelsea and Lyon in the UWCL if they are not resolved. At this level of the game, there is little margin for error and unless they are addressed, Barça could fall short of victory on the biggest stage.

The Levante game serves as a stark reminder of the weaknesses within the squad and should be a point of reflection for the staff and players to improve from.

A night to forget for the coaching staff, players, and fans alike.