It’s as easy as that. Barcelona were back in front of their home crowd, and picked up where they left off the last time they played at Montjuïc, after two frustrating road trips.
This was a big game against a good team that resulted in Barcelona rising to second place in the Champions League standings.
Hansi Flick and his men are cruising in the competition, and that’s important, considering that the last three games of the opening stage come against three top tier opponents.
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The bigger question going forward will be if the Blaugrana can get back to dominating La Liga after dropping four critical points with a loss to Real Sociedad followed by a shocking come from behind draw to Celta Vigo.
The good news is that Lamine Yamal should be back in action soon. In addition to that, on Tuesday, they looked like a team that could hold their own without him.
They weren’t world-beaters on the night, but Barcelona looked very assured of themselves.
More than anything else, this was because of the dynamic double pivot duo of Pedri and Marc Casadó who set the tempo all night. It was impressive to see young Marc bounce back so quickly from the consequential red card over the weekend. And it amazing to see how effective Pedri has been in the deeper position.
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In front of them, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, and Robert Lewandowski were active all night. Olmo and Fermín López struggled in the early going to find the net, but the four attacking players were dangerous throughout. The 3-0 score line was not an accurate representation of the opportunities that were created.
But that’s OK. It’s about winning, and managing the game. Flick will, no doubt, be very pleased.
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Turning to Las Palmas, Barcelona will need to stay aggressive and not waste time.
Bottom of the table teams in La Liga can be a danger because they take less risks, making them more difficult to break down. Brest didn’t look very good, but in part it’s because they were naïve enough to believe they could be successful with the ball against a Barca team that loves to press.
Every game will require different solutions. But for now, it was nice to see proof that the pride of Catalonia is a team that’s not dependent on any one player.
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For me, the take away is to keep the partnership of Pedri and Casadó going, and build around it.
Let Frenkie de Jong prove, in a role off the bench, that he’s willing to compete for his minutes.
Let Gavi, Dani Olmo, and Fermín López compete for playing time at the ten.
Above all else, keep the intensity and attacking spirit coming.
That’s the version of Barcelona that’s made itself into a Champions League and La Liga contender.
