Adama Traoré in good shape, Eric Garcia overwhelmed… Find our Tops and our Flops after the draw snatched by Barça in the derby against Espanyol (2-2).
TOPS
Traore the only danger
Adama Traoré silenced a lot of critics. For 96 minutes he was one of the few to create danger on the attacking front. His speed allowed him to constantly overtake Pedrosa and he even allowed himself some technical gestures with chest-strike sequences and other portmanteau controls. Unfortunately for him, he lacked a face-to-face with Lopez, favoring power more than precision. More discreet in the second period, he made up for it after additional time. With love for the cross, he put the ball over the head of Luuk de Jong, who catapulted the leather into the net with a powerful header. And the player bought from Wolverhampton this winter delivered his second assist in two games. Two more than in England, where he had scored only one goal since the season.
De Jong, decisive entry
Led 2-1 in the 88th minute, despite the entries of Aubameyang, Dembele among others, Xavi decided to play his all. He brought in Luuk De Jong in place of Pedri and had three forwards on the pitch. He took it well since the Dutchman got two chances in seven minutes. The first was missed with a header slightly above Lopez’s cages. But the second, after additional time was the right one. With an angry head, the striker released his own and prevented Espanyol from defeating their Catalan neighbor in La Liga for the first time in 13 years. A real fox goal from the surfaces, with a sharp appeal to get past the defenders. And finally a head that seemed more difficult than the first. Nobody held it against him, Luuk De Jong had saved the honor of the club in the derby.
Darder – De Tomas, a duo that works
The Espanyol duo were in the oven and in the mill. Decisive on both goals, the two offensive players brought in different registers. The former Lyonnais scored his team’s first goal with a curling shot from outside the area. Throughout the match, he put the Blaugrana defense in difficulty, forced to overtake him. His technique and openings sowed panic in a struggling rear guard. One of them was also the good one. In height, Darder found De Tomas, who took advantage of an error from Garcia. The striker did not need to be asked to shoot Ter Stegen and give his side the advantage. He was not stingy defensively for the rest of the game and helped his team-mates to keep that goal in front…until the 96th minute.
And immediatelyLiga: De Jong saves Barça in the derby, Dembélé back
FLOPS
Garcia, a catastrophic entry
While the Pique-Araujo hinge was solid in the first half, Xavi was forced to modify it at half-time. Araujo returned from the locker room with an ice pack around his right leg, forced to give way to Eric Garcia. And serenity crumbled for the azulgrana defense. Never reassuring, the Spanish international was at fault on Espanyol’s second goal. He tried very roughly to play the offside but let De Tomas slip away who did not ask for so much. Powerless in the aerial field, Garcia appeared feverish on each intervention, without being transcendent in the recovery. A game to forget, when he should start if Araujo’s injury turns out to be serious. Because with those of Umtiti and Lenglet, Xavi does not have much room for maneuver in this position.
Torres, a role to understand
If Adama Traoré was excellent, this is not the case of Ferran Torres. Positioned in false nine, the former Manchester City has never managed to find his place. Rarely found when he stalled, he became useless on long balls or in pivot. Barça’s winter rookie also missed several chances, at 1-0 to make the break or at 1-1 to restore the advantage to his team. After an excellent match in the victory against Atletico (4-2), the Spanish international will have to overcome this failed performance. On pain of being robbed of his place in the starting lineup, with the return of Dembele, the fitness of Aubameyang and the rise of young Barcelona shooters.
