BARCELONA-NAPLES VAR compensates for Barcelona’s lack of aim

Next week Naples will decide the fate of Barça in Europe. In a game that went through all the possible phases: from tedium to epic, going from anger to delivery and arbitration controversy with one of those penalties that makes you lose faith in the game, the thing ended in a draw. Napoli did not believe it when they had Barça on the canvas, Xavi’s men entered the game thanks to VAR and in the end their poor aim condemned them.

The change of staging, of paraphernalia, of the anthem of the hour and of the epic, of degradation, in short, from the Champions League to the Europa League only initially affected the spectators at the Camp Nou, who for not recognizing, they did not recognize the tune of the competition and they could not boo it. They were overlooked, just as the team was overlooked that what they were contesting was a European competition that their coach defined in the preview as “an opportunity”.

As well, the first 45 minutes of this occasion that was presented were thrown in the trash in an unacceptable way by a Barcelona that presented a couple of rotations, which in no way justify the disaster that was lived in a pitiful staging. So much so that they even surprised Napoli themselves, who went into the break winning 0-1 but with the feeling that having pushed a little harder could have settled the tie in that first act.

De Jong assumed the stripes to be the leader in the position of Busquets without any weight in the game and Gavi left his position and with his absence Barça lost nerve. It’s hard, but that’s how it is. The absence of a youthful kid detracts from the team’s spirit.

With Barça lost and without threatening the rival despite having a recently bought trident the game languished before the errors of Ferran Torres in the auction, the collapse of Adama, who was very well watched and with Aubameyang very far from finishing.

Barça’s approaches died in the vicinity of the Italian area. The clearest of all was Ferran Torres at 28 minutes after good pressure from Auba, but his shot went high. The pardon was paid dearly by Napoli, who in the following play undressed the Barcelona defense. First Elmas to Alba, then Zielinski to the central defenders, who allowed him to shoot first and then calmly pick up the rebound from Ter Stegen to shoot the 0-1. From there to the end, Barça was a drama and the public began to get nervous.

The second part cannot be explained without the iron application of the New Testament of Football, that is to say the VAR, which judged as hands and a penalty a move that nobody, neither in the stands nor on the field nor in the surrounding area, claimed as the maximum penalty. Adama crossed, the ball brushed Jesus’ fingertips without his intervention deviating the trajectory of the ball one degree. Played without more until the cutting room called the butcher to refine the cut. Penalty that Ferran Torres executed with professionalism and solvency. A new game was starting, and to liven things up Xavi brought Dembélé out onto the field, who got into a period brawl. Yes, from your own audience. Yes, tied at one and with 20 minutes to go. So that you understand me: people encouraged the team to come back except when the French touched it. But on the third ball, the applause was imposed on Ousmane, who, for his part, continued to play the same with the applause as with the boos. Sending a message to this guy is like waiting for a bus in the jungle.

The one who did come out applauded as a new idol was Luuk de Jong with five minutes to go, who was already received as a savior by the stands.

Dembélé directed the last Blaugrana charge, which had all the epicness that the opening match lacked. Ousmane put a ball on the goal line that no one found to push it, Ferran missed two very clear shots and Luuk sent a Chilean kick wide by a span.The return in Naples promises to be hot.