Barcelona survived Levante scare after giving up three-goal lead

Barcelona came close to an unwanted draw against Levante after seeing a three-goal advantage reduced to one, but Hansi Flick’s side held on to win by two. The “Frogs” caused the Catalan side serious problems, particularly after the break, and almost turned a comfortable victory into a damaging loss of points.

The players chiefly responsible for Barcelona’s second-half collapse were identified by online publication Euro-Football.Ru. The ratings are out of 10, with each player beginning the match on 6.0.

Pedri – 3.0

Pedri’s brighter hair was not matched by the quality of his performance. His trademark precise passes were missing, with deliveries either falling short or sailing beyond their intended targets.

He failed to produce a single key pass and misplaced three passes even inside his own half. Two of those errors came on the flank where Victor Garcia was applying pressure.

Late in the second half, Pedri also lost possession inside his own penalty area, creating an opportunity for Levante to take a dangerous shot. He played for around one and a half halves before being replaced, a change that was justified by his display.

Andreas Christensen – 3.0

Barcelona’s defensive relaxation inside their own penalty area had consequences after half-time. Esparta can be criticised for the pass that led to Levante’s first goal, but Christensen was also at fault for stopping rather than moving towards the ball.

Although his distribution was not itself inaccurate, Christensen looked short of confidence throughout his time on the pitch. On the 60th minute, Victor Garcia dispossessed him before attempting to square the ball to Romero, whose shot was blocked.

Christensen had come on at the interval, but his introduction failed to bring the stability Barcelona needed.

Joan Garcia – 3.0

The Barcelona goalkeeper added to the tension with a series of uncertain clearances. At times he kicked the ball into a nearby opponent; on other occasions he struck it towards a team-mate.

As panic spread inside Barcelona’s penalty area, Garcia appeared affected by it. He made rash attempts to reach the ball without getting there, leaving Cubarsi to protect an unguarded goal on one occasion.

Levante scored both of their goals after getting close to Garcia. For the first, he was dribbled past before failing to hold the ball and conceding a follow-up effort into the near corner. The second showed the opposite problem: he waited as long as possible before committing himself, but that decision also ended badly.

Levante’s quick and agile players repeatedly exposed Barcelona’s defenders and goalkeeper during the second half, turning what had looked like a dominant victory into a nervous finish.