Bad luck for Barça
Just about nothing came off for the blaugranes in the unexpected and painful defeat at home on Sunday to Leganés in La Liga. Barça came up against an impregnable defensive wall again and again in the game as the statistics show it was a game for forget.
Ball now wanting to go in
If we focus on just Sunday's defeat we can say that Barça tried everything but a combination of a lack of composure in front of goal and a stellar performance from Leganés keeper Marko Dimitrovic combined to make it the home defeat in the league with most shots, a total of 20, since a 1-0 loss against Valencia in October 2003. The blaugranes created enough to have deserved a goal, failing to score at home for the first time in 38 matches in all competitions, their third best run this century.
First goal conceded from a corner in a year
Sunday's clash with Leganés also saw Barça concede a goal from a corner for the first time season. Sergio González's header from an Óscar Rodríguez corner was the first time the blaugranes had let in a goal in such fashion since a game at Villarreal back in August 2023.
Woodwork again
This season Barça have also had bad luck in front of goal regarding the woodwork. Hansi Flick's team, along with Manchester City, are the team who have hit the woodwork on most occasions in Europe's top five leagues. The blaugranes have struck the post or the crossbar a total of 18 times in all competitions, Lewandowski and Raphinha doing so on five occasions each. Five points from a possible 18 in their last five games may well have been a whole lot more had the ball gone just a few inches one way or another.
History gives rise for optimism
Despite the poor run of results recently in the league, such a setback is hardly unknown in La Liga. In the 2018/19 season under coach Ernesto Valverde the blaugranes went four games without a win in September and October and still claimed the title at the end of the campaign. In 2015/16 Luis Enrique's team lost to Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Valencia, and drew with Villarreal in March and April of that season before being crowned La Liga champions.
Even in the treble winning season of 2008/09, Barça stuttered in La Liga. Pep Guardiola's team in February lost against Espanyol and Atlético Madrid and drew against Betis, and in the last six games of the campaign their only win was the magical 6-2 win at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid. There is no doubt that Barça are currently going through a lean spell in the league but their title aspirations remain very much in tact.