The oldest eleven ever

Ter Stegen (28); Semedo (26), Piqué (33), Lenglet (25), Alba (31); Sergi Roberto (28), Busquets (32), Vidal (33), De Jong (23); Messi (33) and Suárez (33). With an average of 29.5 years, Barça presented last Friday in Da Luz the oldest starting eleven in the history of the Champions League according to statistical data from Opta. The crossing of this data with that of 2-8 is devastating for a team in which radical changes and renewal have been requested for a long time. The thirty-somethings who were risking credibility against Bayern, Busquets, Alba and Suárez, did not pass the test, especially the first two. Busquets was overwhelmed by Goretzka and Alba became more concerned with battles with Skomina and covered up his deficiencies with protests. Suárez took pride, but it is no longer enough. Barça faces the tough task of firing their idols.

Only Piqué and Messi have their future guaranteed at Barça if they are not the ones who, as the central defender said the other day, feel that their moment has come and leave. Titles against Bayern like Alba, Busquets, Vidal and Suárez, and substitutes like Rakitic, are players who, according to the club, have already completed a cycle and must be relieved. Now we need to know how to deal with their burdensome chips and their long contracts, in the case of Alba and Busquets; and the last year of Rakitic, Suárez and Vidal.