FC Barcelona vs. Brest: Post-Match Review and Upcoming Matches
The French side and the Spanish giants met for the first time in the middle of the week.
From the previous two games, Blaugrana had interpretación apagada (lackluster performance) losing to Real Sociedad and drawing with Celta in the last 10 minutes of the game. The team needed to bounce and get back to the winning ways. And that’s what they did.
On the other hand, Brest had a fine start to the Champions League, winning three and drawing on one occasion against Bayer Leverkusen. They were in the top eight (the top eight qualifies directly to the quarter-finals).
As for the league, Barcelona was on top of the table with a four-point difference against the second-placed Real Madrid who had one game in hand.
Brest, on the flip side, is struggling in the French league. They are 12th in the table with just four wins after playing twelve matches.
Anyhow, they played, I streamed the game in 4K for the best experience, and now, I am writing the match review. So, without much ado, let us dive right into it.
FC Barcelona Upcoming Matches and Where to Watch Them?
- FC Barcelona vs. Real Betis (December 7, 2024)
- FC Barcelona vs. Borussia Dortmund (December 11, 2024)
- FC Barcelona vs. Leganes (December 16, 2024)
- FC Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid (December 22, 2024)
The first three are LaLiga matches and the last one is in the Champions League. As for streaming, it will be transmisión en vivo (live telecast) on ESPN+ which is available on Cox Contour TV. Cox is my choice for both TV and internet as it offers affordable plans, network reliability, and above all 24/7 servicio al cliente tailored for Spanish speakers like myself.
Lewandowski in the Top Three Elites
It was 2011 when the Polish striker scored his first goal in the Champions League (CL) for Borussia Dortmund and the rest is written in history.
On November 26, when Barca faced Brest, Lewandowski was standing on 99 99-goal tally in the elite European competition. The game went on and the Brest’s keeper came and thrashed himself into Lewandowski without even touching the ball. The referee called the penalty and it was none other than Lewandowski himself who took the spot kick and converted.
Previously it was only Messi and Ronaldo who were in the club 100. But now after that goal, Lewandowski, as well, is in the elite club of players who have scored 100 or more goals in the Champions League (CL).
One unique fact about this is that Lewandowski took significantly fewer shots to reach this number.
As it stands, Lewandowski has scored a total of 101 goals in the CL. He scored another in stoppage time to make the scoreline 3 – 0. If he plays like this for the next season, he might be able to surpass Ronaldo’s number.
Frenkie De Jong Was Benched
I am not sure but it looks like a contractual situation. As for the injury, there has neither been a reported injury nor discomfort.
Let me elaborate a bit more on the contractual situation: Frenkie De Jong has one of the highest wages at FC Barcelona which is not sustainable. Barca offered him a new contract with smaller wages but the player hasn’t responded well.
He has yet to use a pen on his new contract. He isn’t helping the club balance the books so, I think that is one of the reasons he is out of favor. Also, Marc Casado is doing great in his role so, Flick has decided to prefer the youngster.
Pedri Has Yet Again Shown Why He is the Best Midfielder
If you didn’t watch the match and just watched the highlights, you wouldn’t know what kind of mastery he put on to the show on the Champions League night. He is the best midfielder FC Barcelona has got.
If you look at the ratings on Fotmob or even Sofa Score, you wouldn’t know the level of his game. He is a pure joy to watch and for me, he was the man of the match against Brest.
The numbers really don’t do him justice but the eye test. Once he drops down a little bit deeper, it feels like it’s his kingdom. Those twists & turns, pass accuracy, awareness, dribbling, and ball distribution are his traits.
The Spanish giants suffer when he isn’t available. As we saw last night, he has become an integral part of the team.
Dani Olmo is Proving to Be Worth $60 million
I will be honest; he was sloppy throughout the game and underperformed according to his abilities.
Nonetheless, he managed to collect the cross from Gerard Martin, dribbled past two defenders in the tight space, and slotted it home. That’s what he is good at and that’s exactly why Barca splashed the cash on him.
He scored the second goal of the night and put the game to rest for Brest. It was an okay-ish display from him but he is coming back from injury so, I am expecting he will get back to full flow soon.
