Barca youngsters frustrate and surprise Pep & Man City

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A confident performance for Hansi Flick to be proud of 

That’s what happens when you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

This was not Barcelona vs Manchester City. It was Barcelona Atlètic taking on the Cityzens.

Granted, Pep Guardiola’s team also had plenty of young talent on display, looking to make a name for themselves. But they were anchored by Ederson on one side, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish on the other, two of the best forwards in Europe.

And oh yeah, there was Pep.

But the La Masia products weren’t scared.

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In fact, they were riding their championship form from the end of the previous season under Rafa Marquez, and showed up with a winning mentality.

And surprisingly, that’s exactly what they did. And no one was more frustrated than Pep, the legend himself.

If you want to see evidence of a successful night, Pep’s body language said it all.

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Within the first minutes of the match, the Barca players came out with intensity, won the ball, kept it, and declared their intention to be protagonists.

But during stretches of the game, they also showed a willingness to concede possession, and patiently defend deep as a unit.

That’s incredible from a young group sent out in front of adoring American fans, surely hoping to see different faces on the field, giving a gift of encouragement at a time of great uncertainty under the new manager.

How much credit does Hansi Flick get for this?

Did we see a honeymoon performance? Simply a bunch of players looking out for their own self-interest, auditioning like their careers depend on it for a spot on the roster.

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Or were we seeing the beginning of a new tactical identity?

The classic Flick 4-2-3-1 was on display, anchored by a commanding double pivot combo of Marc Bernal and Marc Casado.

Casado got the lovely flick into the area that assisted the Pau Victor goal.

Throw in Pablo Torre, who looked very strong in the 10 role, a position he hasn’t really gotten the opportunity to play for either Barcelona or Girona, and you had a midfield nucleus that got the better of the midfield powerhouse that is Manchester City.

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On the front line, Victor was the main man on the day. On the opening goal, he found the space to slip through the backline, and then calmly squared up Ederson, making the finish look easy.

Vitor Roque, in comparison, struggled to make things happen. Perhaps he played outside of his natural position. Regardless, if you want to stick around at Barcelona, there are no excuses, you have to find a way to contribute, and show you can play with, and off of your teammates. This was a missed opportunity for a player who was given the start, only to be pulled at halftime.

But let’s not be too harsh. It really was a team effort.

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Julian Araujo played on the wing. Nothing spectacular, but looked perfectly comfortable in his reading of the game, and tactical responsibilities.

The backline looked shaky in the goals that were conceded, but you have to be somewhat forgiving with that. A lot of risks were being taken on the ball by the underdogs.

Another revelation for me was how much fullback depth there appears to be coming out of the academy.

Araujo plays there, even if he didn’t on the day. And Hector Fort and Gerard Martin were two of the strongest performers on the pitch.

Seeing Alejandro Balde make his comeback was fantastic, especially seeing one of his characteristic flying runs down the sideline.

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One downside on the day was the players Flick wasn’t able to evaluate. Noah Darvich got very few minutes, and we didn’t see Mikayil Faye at all. Alex Valle and Toni Fernandez looked promising in the brief time given to them in the second half.

One question going forward may be around goalkeeper number two.

Iñaki Peña continues to look shaky for me. His energy seems off, and perhaps it’s harsh, but I can’t help but wonder if he could have done more on the angle to prevent the Jack Grealish goal.

Could we see more of Ander Astralaga, the PK shot stopping hero who made the first two saves of the shootout? Watch that space going forward.

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Of course, this is just one game. One good, encouraging, promising game, for a new coach, who likely won’t be counting on most of these players going into the season.

But it does show that Barcelona is working hard and taking the preseason seriously.

And I, for one, can’t wait to see what this team can do against Real Madrid on Saturday.

With confidence and intensity, anything is possible on the pitch.

That’s exactly what we saw from the boys from La Masia against the juggernauts of Europe.

Bravo. Keep going. Let’s make a habit of it.

Source: barcablaugranes.com