Three takeaways from Deportivo Alaves 1-0 Barcelona | La Liga MD36

In the end, only a late first-half goal by Ibrahim Diabate separated the two teams, and Barcelona never got back into the game with an equaliser. The champions, however, will not read too much into it. Barça Universal brings you three takeaways from Deportivo Alaves 1-0 Barcelona.

Flick’s pragmatism With Barcelona sitting pretty on 91 points ahead of last night’s clash, many expected Hansi Flick to go out all guns blazing to hit the 100-point mark. Flick decided to drop his usual starters. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) The manager, however, was very pragmatic with his approach and prioritised the squad’s well-being after the big game they played at the weekend.

Instead of focusing on the 100-point objective, the manager handed key stars a rest, given that the game was just days after El Clasico and the title celebrations, which ran late into the night. With the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, player welfare becomes all the more important. The defeat last night, thus, ended Barcelona’s hopes of breaching the 100-point mark in La Liga and Flick’s chance to ensure his side is never forgotten.

Yet, his decision as a manager is completely understandable and one cannot blame the team for underperforming against a side fighting to stay alive while worn out themselves. Disappointment in attack Hansi Flick’s rotations against Deportivo Alaves saw him field bench players across the field in all departments. The attack, however, was the department that disappointed the most.