#4 Barca’s bench is poor
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Well, this is perhaps the main talking point after every Barcelona loss. It is incredible that they have made it this far this season with such a weak bench—and with the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Gerard Pique suspended, it showed.
The first mistake Enrique made was to bench Andres Iniesta and Sergi Roberto. This meant that Barca took a huge risk even before going into a game for which they were already depleted. Andre Gomes was supposed to be the creative hub from the midfield in the absence of Ivan Rakitic, but he had another atrocious game for the club.
Meanwhile, Iniesta was brought in to curb the damage and lift Barca from the ashes, but he failed to do so. Sergi Roberto was also popped in at right-back and was Barca’s best player after coming on, but couldn’t finish the chance that he got.
Overall, Barca’s bench strength is a far cry from their best years under Pep Guardiola.
