Barcelona is going through a rough patch of form in the Spanish top division as they are not even in the top ten. New manager Ronald Koeman expected to make an instant impact and bring the club back to winning ways after ending the previous season trophyless. A good start to the season depicts where a team could end up but it is not the case for Barcelona. They have picked up only 5 points from their last 5 fixtures which are quite disappointing considering the standard of the club.
Lack of form for Barcelona
Club captain and star man Lionel Messi is also in a rut as he has missed out on the opportunities to score from open play this season. It is shocking that the 6-time Balon D’or winner is struggling to find the back of the net. Messi has scored 5 times this season and all of the goals have come through penalties. However, the positive thing about Barcelona is the rising star Ansu Fati who has not held himself back from scoring goals this season. The 18-year-old is the youngest goal scorer for club and country and is impressing everyone with his talent.
Fati carrying Barcelona on his young shoulders
Fati rose to prominence after the pandemic break as football restarted under Quique Setien. He is still in the first-team and Koeman seems to utilize the Spaniard quite well. He scored in the opening game and continued his run of form to become Barca’s top goalscorer this campaign with 5 goals, as per Marca. Fati has also provided 2 assists as continues to penetrate the opposition’s defense. He is following the footsteps of Messi and has already beaten him on tally as of now. The Blaugrana might have found their new stalwart to succeed Lionel Messi.
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Nobody except Fati has stepped up in front of the goal in La Liga and Koeman has criticized the players for missing out on created chances in the box. Barcelona could go back to winning ways but need to strengthen their defense and accomplish their attack efficiently. The Catalan outfit currently sits 12th in the La Liga table, 8 points behind their arch-rivals Real Madrid. It is Real Sociedad who are the league leaders and Barca trail them by 9 points. Fans want the club to step up after a trophyless campaign last term. Koeman would like to emphasize his squad before the January transfer window to make new additions.
