So you’re telling me Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, Brazil, Belgium, England and Netherlands all stuck on one side of the bracket…
The other side?
Argentina, Australia, Cape Verde, Egypt.
The script isn’t even trying to hide anymore
Lamine Yamal final record in big games this season:
0 G/A vs PSG
0 G/A vs Real Madrid
0 G/A vs Chelsea
0 G/A vs Atleti
0 G/A vs Atheltic Club
0 G/A vs Real Madrid
0 G/A vs Atleti
0 G/1A vs Atleti
0 G/A vs Atleti
0 G/A vs Atleti
0 G/A vs Real Madrid
Ballondor for this😭
This is not bad luck. Bad luck happens once or twice. What Barcelona have been doing in the Champions League for a decade is a pattern, and patterns have explanations.
Since their last European trophy in 2015, Barcelona have played ten Champions League campaigns. They have not won a single one. They have not even got to the final in any They have collapsed from winning positions against Roma and Liverpool.They lost 8-2 to Bayern Munich in a single-leg quarter-final. And tonight, they added another chapter.
They lost 2-0 at home to Atletico Madrid in the first leg, won 2-1 at the Metropolitano, and went out 3-2 on aggregate. Against the same Atletico side that knocked them out in 2016.
Since the beginning of last season, no club in the Champions League has conceded more goals than Barcelona. 43 before tonight. 45 by the final whistle. They had conceded in 14 consecutive Champions League matches going into this second leg, and they extended that run.
No Spanish side has ever gone 15 Champions League games without a clean sheet. Barcelona have now done it. A club that built its identity on controlling games and controlling spaces cannot keep the ball out of its own net in Europe's biggest competition.
And that is the identity crisis at the heart of this. Barcelona are not a bad team. They are nine points clear at the top of La Liga. They score freely, they press intelligently, and Lamine Yamal is one of the best players on the planet.
But the Champions League has repeatedly exposed something that domestic football hides. Against teams who have specifically prepared to stop them, who defend deep, transition fast, and punish the spaces Barcelona's high line leaves behind, the philosophy breaks down.
The best European sides adapt. They win ugly when ugly is required. They manage games. They hold leads.
Barcelona have been trying to win the Champions League the Barcelona way for ten years. The Champions League keeps winning back.
Let me know what you think.
My name is Ajoje. I am a FIFA Licensed Agent and International Sports Lawyer. I write on the Law and Business of Football, a lot. Repost and Follow if you want to read more posts like this.
This Yamal hype is actually getting ridiculous.
All I see is dribbling with zero end product. Vinícius used to get the same criticism early in his career for same playing style, but at least he’s improved massively since then.
Right now, Yamal just spams dribbles and hides behind aesthetically pleasing moments, especially in big games. He’s basically a 2019–2021 version of Vini. He’s nowhere near being the best player in the world yet.
Vinícius jr, Kylian Mbappé, and Olise are all clearly ahead of him right now.
Not touching @ClashRoyale again until @supercell acknowledges Jynxzi’s impact. Disgusting to act as if a dev changed a game that’s been the same for years.
@jynxzi I’m done letting you be humble. From Clash, RL & R6 YOU revived those games. The only creator to do so AND include the community of those games. While also bringing in even more creators‼️You change lives and deserve RECOGNITION and COMPENSATION. NUMBERS DONT LIE‼️‼️‼️
THE JYNXZI EFFECT IS REAL, PAY THAT MAN🗣️🗣️🗣️
@supercell