Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Alaves | La Liga MD 11

Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Alaves | La Liga MD 11 Not many saw Barcelona’s defeat to Real Madrid coming, but the Catalans slipped up when it mattered the most and have now seen their lead at the top cut short to just two points above Atletico Madrid. To be in such a situation after dominating the competition for weeks, needless to say, seems harsh. But football what it is, and three points are worth the same irrespective of whether they arrive from a narrow 1-0 win or a thumping five-goal victory. After facing their first and only league defeat of the season, Barcelona return to action on Saturday as they take on Deportivo Alaves at home . All eyes, needless to say, will be on whether they can get back on track. After all, it was not just the defence but the midfield and attack too who disappointed last weekend. There is a general need to step up from players across the field. Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Deportivo Alaves. Time to come to terms The mood around Barcelona could not get any more positive than it was ahead of the team’s clash against PSG, for the Catalans were seemingly flying and out of reach. Over the past week, however, they have been unbelievably humbled to the point where there is a serious fear that all the momentum they built up over the weeks may well disappear. Just when it appeared like Barcelona were the team to beat in Europe and equal competitors to PSG, they suffered a defeat away from home against the Parisians. At that time, the Clasico was used as the excuse, as the players and manager insisted that the priority was always the game against Real Madrid and the La Liga title race. Back-to-back losses for Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Facing Jose Mourinho’s side at the weekend, however, Barcelona slumped to a second straight defeat of the season, and it hit where it hurt most because their entire run of wins this season in La Liga came to an end against Real Madrid of all teams. The team’s psychological momentum, in that sense, would have broken down, and it is crucial that Hansi Flick brings his players back to speed. There is an urgent need to come to terms with what happened and move on like it never did. That objective starts from tomorrow night against Deportivo Alaves. Urgent defensive crisis Barcelona’s defensive contingent has been growing thinner with every passing game. Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia have both been unavailable for recent games, and matters took a turn for the worse in El Clasico . Against Los Blancos , the Catalans lost teenage prodigy Xavi Espart to injury, and the player will be out for a significant period. There is now, thus, a gaping hole in defencee, particularly at right-back. Gerard Martin and Pau Cubarsi would be the ideal central defensive pairing tomorrow, but the former has also been struggling with some discomfort in recent games and Flick may well opt to rest the star given how he cannot afford any further setbacks. In that context, the manager even tried out Frenkie de Jong as a centre-back alongside Cubarsi in training in recent sessions, and there is a chance that Barcelona field an unconventional defensive lineup come Saturday. Further, there is a serious shortage of staff at right-back with Kounde, Garcia and Espart all ruled out of the game. In that sense, Joao Cancelo is an option to start at right-back if the manager trusts Alejandro Balde with a start at left-back. De Jong is an option to play at centre-back. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Else, Brian Farinas is seen as another option who can offer a solution at right-back in the current situation. Flick’s defensive dilemmas ahead of the weekend’s game, in that sense, are massive. The bleeding must stop Momentum is a funny thing. As difficult as it is to build up patiently, it is as easy to break down in an instant – and Barcelona are living that very reality. The Catalans were superior to their opponents week in and week out, scoring goals for fun and destroying goalscoring records in Europe until the game against PSG. They were, in that sense, on top of the world before facing Luis Enrique’s side, and there seemed to be no team in the world that could stop them. Until two teams came up and did precisely that in a matter of four days. From a supreme high, Barcelona have now fallen into a trench, and it is critical that they find a way to bounce back stronger. However, momentum can be an evil thing, especially when matters are not in the team’s favour. Getting into a negative run of results is not difficult in sports, and Barcelona are close to getting on a similar tilt. If they do not stabilize the ship right now, the coming weeks could see them throw away all the hard work they put in over the past two months. Stopping the bleeding before it gets any worse, in that sense, is crucial, and Flick will be wary to ensure that his side can get back on the right track at the earliest.