Barcelona suffers Injuries in the Game

 Barcelona suffers two injuries in an Athletic draw.

 While Barcelona had a chance after Madrid's draw at Valencia and Girona's loss in the second division, the team was unable to secure a win at San Mames and is currently eight points behind the leaders.To make matters worse, it lost midfielders Pedri and De Jong in the first half; the latter could not contain his tears as he considered the most recent in a string of failures with his fitness.

 

 During the first few minutes, Ernesto Valverde's team had trouble getting the ball into the attacking end, while Joao Cancelo, who used to play for Barcelona, was the most active player on the field.However, holding onto the ball did not result in clear opportunities; the closest it got to an initial breakthrough was through two set pieces.

Frenkie and Pedri, we’re with you. Stay strong. 💪 pic.twitter.com/FcfydlBQcP

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 3, 2024

 

 Ilkay Gundogan's free kick was headed over by Andreas Christensen, while Jules Kounde's daring flick from a corner also sailed over the crossbar.

Athletic, on the other hand, was mainly unable to utilize the ball when it reached the final third and was instead surviving off scraps. In the twenty-sixth minute, De Jong injured his ankle and appeared unable to recover, causing Barca's play to become disorganized. Fermin Lopez replaced him.

 

 Soon after the halfway point, Cancelo attempted a long-range shot following an up-field punt by Unai Simon, almost giving it an unexpected lead and drawing the keeper off guard. Yeray Alvarez was still needed to clear the line even after Simon was able to reverse course and gain a handle on it.

Pedri was forced to leave the game with the first half almost over, and he went down alone. He retreated to the dugout, allowing his emotions to overcome him.

 

 At the beginning of the second half, Athletic came to life, with captain Inaki Williams creating two opportunities for himself in behind, but he missed the target both times. As the tide began to change, Barca defenders Ronald Araujo and Pau Cubarsi were also forced to stifle potential attempts.

While sixteen-year-old Lamine Yamal, Pedri's replacement, saw a penalty scream waved away at the opposite end, Alex Berenguer had a couple of promising breaks but struggled to produce a finished product.A corner kick by the hosts saw Dani Garcia arrive unguarded at the far end of the field, but he was unable to guide his header on target, almost making Barca's night even worse.