Catalan media: Barcelona played with fire before El Clasico, and the 6-1 victory in the Champions League could not hide the hidden dangers

"Daily Sports" article: Barcelona is playing with fire before the El Clasico: a big victory cannot hide hidden dangers

The 6-1 score is certainly something to be proud of, but the game process exposed worrying issues. Barcelona did beat Olympiakos at home, picking up three points and a hearty victory - Fermín Lopez scored a hat-trick (7', 39', 76'), Rashford scored twice (74', 79'), Yamal scored from the penalty kick (68'), and the visiting team Elkabi came back with a penalty kick (54'). However, every time the intensity of play drops, those familiar pitfalls resurface. With just five days left before this Sunday's El Clasico, these risks appear particularly dangerous.

The 2-0 lead in the first half seemed to make the game lose suspense early, but the situation changed suddenly in the second half. First, VAR canceled a goal from Olympiacos, and then awarded a penalty kick to the opponent. Elkabi scored in one stroke (2-1), instantly disrupting the rhythm of the game.

At this moment, Barcelona's old problems appeared again: the passing rhythm slowed down, the midfield frequently lost the ball, and large gaps were left in the midfield and backfield. Once the team cannot maintain high pressure, the loopholes in the offensive and defensive transition will be exposed.

Turning point: The red card changed the situation

The turning point of the game occurred when Olympiacos was sent off one man. The away team, with one less player to play, fully retreated, and Barcelona finally gained the ball control time and offensive space that it lacked before. Yamal scored a penalty kick (3-1) to stabilize the morale of the army. Then when the opponent's physical fitness collapsed, Rashford scored two goals in a row (one of which came from Balde's assist), and Fermin also completed a hat trick to end this great victory.

Behind the victory, hidden dangers still exist

However, the "makeup" of the score cannot conceal the essential problem: once the pace of the game slows down, Barcelona's vigor will also disappear. Flick has rebuilt the team's tactical system, and the team is no longer as chaotic as it was in the past, but there are still two major shortcomings that need to be addressed - the lack of pressing intensity without the ball, and the lack of the ability to proactively speed up and break the balance when the game reaches a deadlock.

At the Bernabeu, 90 minutes will seem extremely long. If Barcelona gives away the ball at will or hesitates when defending, it will pay a heavy price. Real Madrid never miss a crack - a hesitation can turn into a goal, a mistake can trigger a rout.

A big victory is comfort, but it is by no means reassuring.

They won a lot of games, but Barcelona must not let down their vigilance because of this. This victory was more like a narrow escape. The real test comes on Sunday, when they will have a golden opportunity to prove themselves and inflict a heavy blow on their arch-rivals.