Three talking points from Alaves 1-0 Barcelona as Hansi Flick’s side wave goodbye to 100-point bid

With Barca having wrapped up La Liga of their earlier sport in opposition to Actual Madrid, there have been at all times more likely to be adjustments to the beginning line-up in opposition to Alaves.

Because it turned out, Hansi Flick made eight to the workforce which started El Clasico.

Arguably, the end result and method of efficiency didn’t actually matter within the grand scheme of issues, although private delight ought to dictate that whoever was chosen handled this match the identical as some other.

In any case, for gamers like Roony Bardghji, it was one other alternative to offer Flick some meals for thought sooner or later.

Let’s check out three speaking factors from the sport…

Champions flat as a pancake

It actually was solely to be anticipated from the Catalans.

Nothing in any respect to play for, no must push any more durable than was mandatory… supporters couldn’t actually count on an excessive amount of greater than what Barca produced on Wednesday night time.

There have been a couple of passages of play when the guests exhibited their fantastic passing sport, however in reality, they have been few and much between in opposition to an opponent taking part in with rather more urgency, given their want for all three factors.

Constructive contribution from Alvaro Cortes

The sport allowed Flick to offer one or two fringe gamers a run out, and Alvaro Cortes could be joyful along with his debut contribution on the night time.

Calm in possession, robust within the deal with and authoritative when mandatory, he actually didn’t shame himself alongside Pau Cubarsi.

While it’s far too early to find out whether or not he might critically problem the first-choice partnership of Cubarsi and Gerard Martin, Cortes has put himself within the image for additional consideration.

However that Alaves have been combating for his or her La Liga lives, no efforts on track from Barca communicate volumes.

From fairly early within the sport, it did seem that it was going to be a type of matches the place the Blaugranes might’ve performed all night time and nonetheless not come near scoring.

Whether or not it was a backs-against-the-wall five-man defensive effort that was conserving Robert Lewandowski, Marcus Rashford or others out, or it was simply an extremely poor 90 minutes from the whole assault, the actual fact is that there haven’t been too many worse matches from an attacking standpoint in Barca’s latest historical past.

No photographs on track within the sport for Hansi Flick’s facet summed up their lack of chew.