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Three talking points from Barcelona 1-1 Real Betis

15:48
FC Barcelona v Real Betis Balompie - La Liga EA Sports
Photo by Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Hansi Flickā€™s side are held but still extend lead

Barcelona hit a bump against Betis

Barcelona could only draw against Real Betis on Saturday on a mixed night for the Catalan giants. The end result means they have actually extended their lead at the top of the table, but the failure to take full advantage of Madridā€™s surprise defeat clearly frustrated the players.

Hansi Flick pointed out the positives after the game, while Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Pau Cubarsi all lamented Barcaā€™s inability to finish off Betis. The disappointment from the dressing room was evident but Real Betis deserve credit for a strong display.

Elsewhere, Raphinha seemed to lose his head completely and even Flick and Marc-Andre ter Stegen couldnā€™t calm him down. Flick has some work to do to get Raphinha back to the player he was before the international break.

In the meantime, Barca must switch focus to a Champions League tie with Dortmund. The challenge now is for the players to channel their frustrations positively and secure a good result to take to Germany.

Centurion Gavi battles on

Gavi was back in the starting XI against Betis after missing the midweek win over Atletico due to a bit of discomfort in his recently-operated knee. The news was a little disconcerting, although Flick insisted pre-match that the midfielder was feeling fine again.

And Gavi went on to shake off those injury fears with a typically all-action performance. The 20-year-old scored the opener with a great finish for his first La Liga goal of the season on his 100th appearance in the competition.

Given all thatā€™s happened this season, it was a huge moment for Gavi but he still refused to celebrate against the club where he started out as a youngster. Instead he ran straight over to give his manager a hug. The strong relationship between the two is there for all to see.

There was plenty more to like from Gavi too as he ended up with the MVP award. He won the most duels on the pitch, ended up with a 92% pass accuracy rate and even seemed to take out referee Gil Manzano at one point. Robert Lewandowski will surely have enjoyed that one.

ā€œHe had a terrible injury and is getting better and better,ā€ said Flick afterwards. ā€œI have no doubt heā€™ll be back to his best. Weā€™ll help him get back to 100 per cent.ā€

Did Barca lack desire?

Barcelona looked a tired team against Betis and seemed to be feeling the effects of a brutal schedule which is no real surprise. This was the teamā€™s fourth game in the space of nine days since the international break, including a tough Copa del Rey tie against Atletico in midweek. Thereā€™s little time to rest either, as they play again on Wednesday in the Champions League.

Flick played down suggestions of fatigue afterwards, while Pau Cubarsi claimed the team were perhaps mentally tired and lacked the desire to beat Betis.

ā€œIt was clear on the pitch that we didnā€™t give 100%, and you canā€™t win like that,ā€ he said afterwards. ā€œWe lacked the desire to finish the game off from the very beginning. We gave them life and energy, and in the end, they were able to get a draw.ā€

Yet they also came up against a Betis team on a run of six straight league wins, including a first victory over local rivals Sevilla in seven years and a win over Madrid at the start of March. Simply put, this was always going to be a tricky test for Flickā€™s side.

And yet it may even end up being a decent wake-up call for Barca. The Catalans had won 12 of their last 14 matches coming into the match and hadnā€™t lost in 22 games. A stumble was perhaps inevitable at some point and certainly didnā€™t come at a bad time on a weekend when Madrid lost.



Source: barcablaugranes.com

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