Adversity on the wrong night reason to Barcelona’s UEL elimination yet a tough lesson for Xavi and Cules’ egos as they paved way for Germans’ invasion of the Camp Nou

Finally, Barcelona’s unbeaten run has been finally brought to a halt not just by a team you’d expect them to beat easily but also at the expense of a place in the last four of the Europa League, their only hope for silverware this season.

Frankfurt beat Barcelona 3-2 to seal a 4-3 wín on aggregate and book the ticket into the last four of this season’s UEFA Europa League while their host on the night are left in self-reproach as they will find it difficult to believe that they lost at home even after the visitors were lucky to earn draw in Germany.

Frankfurt took a 3-0 lead in the 67th minute, when Kamada finds Filip Kostic, who added to his early penalty goal by firing a low shot into the bottom corner after Rafael Borre had doubled the lead with a beautiful effort from distance six minutes after the half hour mark.

Barcelona fell short in their late surge for a comeback as Sergio Busquets well taken shot and Memphis Depay’s penalty proved just consolations as the away side held on for a famous win on the road.

Where did Xavi get it wrong ?

Maybe the Spanish manager started to let complacent set in from the starting XI he choose to start the first leg in Germany. Despite Barcelona enjoying much of the possession, they clearly lacked the cutting edge in the final third and not until Frankfurt took the lead before Xavi tried to anticipate any change apart from the forced early substitution of Gerard Pique due to injury.

The change did come in Frenkie De Jong and Ousmane Dembele replacing Pablo Gavira and Adama Traore respectively. The two were heavily involved in the buildup to Barcelona equaliser with Dutch midfielder, De Jong getting the assist for the goal scored by Ferran Torres.

Frenkie and Dembele are one of the two most important players for the club and Xavi should have know better than bench them for a important round of a knockout, in a competition which appeared their best shot to ending the season with a silverware.

Though the former Al Sadd manager admitted that Frenkie De Jong has been sick for the past few days and that was why he hasn’t been starting but whether or not that is true, it will be very difficult to believe as the player hasn’t missed any of the games in that time.

Nonetheless, after seeing how much De Jong influenced the game in the first leg, Xavi was still hesitant to start the former Ajax man in the second leg and before he could bring him on at l halftime, the contest is already swaying away from their favour as Frankfurt were Already two goals to the good.

De Jong did came on in the second and was arguably Barcelona’s best player while on the pitch. How different will Barcelona’s fortune would have been had the former Ajax man started in both legs of the contest ?

However, it was just a contest that went wrong in the end for the host as they gave their all although a lot of factors also contributed to the loss, ones which are beyond the manager or the players’ might.

Fans’ failed Xavi in the UEL elimination

Despite playing at home in the Camp Nou, it was as if Barcelona were playing away from home as Frankfurt had more supporters in the stadium than their host.

30,000 Eintracht Frankfurt fans traveled from Germany to Spain to watch the game at the Barcelona stadium. According to Xavi, they were expecting between seventy to eighty thousand Cules to come for the match due to the number of ticket sold.

Xavi speaking after the loss, “We expected a a crowd of 70,000 or 80,000 Culers and it wasn’t like that. It seemed like a final, with divided crowd, a lot of Germans.”

“I am not sure. I think the club is checking now what could have happened, but it’s been a miscalculation on our side.” he added.

It however appeared that a lot of seasoned Barcelona fans have sold their ticket to Frankfurt fans, maybe conceding the triumphant feeling a little too early after they were able to snatch a draw in a dominant display in Germany.

The German fans completely dominated the atmosphere inside the Barcelona Camp Nou Stadium, leaving Xavi and even the club president in complete shock. It was absolute disgrace that a side had traveled from another country and made it look as if they were playing in their own ground.

Also speaking to the press in what is termed German invasion of the Camp Nou, Juan Laporta said; “It is a shame we have to experience this here today. It can not happen again. We have a lot of information about what has happened and we have time to go over it.”

“As a Culer, I feel ashamed and I am really sorry about what I have seen.” he added.

It is a lesson learned in a very tough way for Barcelona fans as they let down a manager who has raised them from their ruins and should look to avoid a repetition in the future as Xavi continues to work the clin back to the top, where it belongs.

Author: Kehinde Hassan Afolabi