{"id":1148034,"date":"2020-06-20T00:02:27","date_gmt":"2020-06-19T23:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1148034"},"modified":"2021-03-30T09:58:49","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T08:58:49","slug":"sevilla-0-0-barcelona-match-analysis-messi-suarez-slow","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/sevilla-0-0-barcelona-match-analysis-messi-suarez-slow\/","title":{"rendered":"“Old, slow and sad” – Barcelona shun pace and surrender the advantage in La Liga after Sevilla stalemate"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a tense night of football, Barcelona played out a 0-0 draw with Sevilla at the Ram\u00f3n S\u00e1nchez Pizjuan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Blaugrana dominated the game but Sevilla had the better of the chances. The result felt like the natural end state for where Barcelona have been heading all season; an utterly toothless performance where a slow, old side laboured to create even the simplest of chances.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/a>

Black Lives Matter:<\/span> Read more about the cause footballers are taking the knee for<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

In an era where Liverpool and Bayern Munich are dominating their divisions with attacking units built around pure speed, it’s almost comedic to watch the Blaugrana almost wholly shun the idea of athleticism as a valuable trait in football.<\/p>\n

Obviously Barcelona have always been different to the other elite sides around the world, placing a huge premium on tactical intelligence and the ability to play in a certain system. But being different has never precluded them from using pace in the past.<\/p>\n

From Hristo Stoichkov to Ronaldo to Marc Overmars to Samuel Eto’o to Pedro to Messi, Neymar and Su\u00e1rez. Barcelona have always had pace in attack. Always. Yet this current Barcelona is just about the slowest in modern memory.<\/p>\n

Obviously the injury to Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 is a mitigating factor, but even allowing for the Frenchman there’s barely any pace in the starting XI. Nelson Semedo and Junior Firpo are quick, but are not first choice – ditto Martin Braithwaite. Jordi Alba is the only starter with pace, which is absurd because he’s the left-back.<\/p>\n

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Jules Kound\u00e9 and Diego Carlos with *another* strong display. https:\/\/t.co\/9yPnWYFyiC<\/a><\/p>\n

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 19, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n