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Barcelona's defensive woes overshadow Lionel Messi’s return as brave Real Betis expose Liga leaders

Dejected: Barcelona stayed top despite defeat to Betis on Sunday: EPA
Dejected: Barcelona stayed top despite defeat to Betis on Sunday: EPA

Barcelona seem to have forgotten how to defend. Ernesto Valverde’s side shipped four goals against Betis in a 4-3 loss at Camp Nou on Sunday and not even the return of Lionel Messi could save the Catalans from defeat this time.

A brave Betis side came and attacked, Quique Setien’s side playing with a high defensive line and applying an intense pressing plan further forward. It was a risky strategy, but one which paid off. In the end, they beat Barca at their own game.

After an impressive first few minutes from the home team, the visitors settled and netted twice to go in 2-0 up at the interval. And it could have been more. Every time they attacked, it looked like they may score.

Barca’s back line was exposed and Betis’ second goal was evidence of why that happened as all three midfielders – Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Arthur – arrived late to the area to defend a ball that had been played back in for a second time. It was not good enough.

“We can’t concede four goals at home,” Arturo Vidal said after the game. The Chilean came on to add an aggressiveness to Barca’s play in the second half, yet the Catalans still let in two more.

And it is nothing new, either. Barca have now conceded 18 times in La Liga this season and although they remain top of the table after this defeat, that defensive record is inferior to 13 of the other 19 teams in the division.

Valverde’s side had let in two the previous weekend in the last-gasp 3-2 win at Rayo Vallecano, having also conceded twice against Huesca, Girona, Leganes and Sevilla in La Liga, and not kept a clean sheet since the 1-0 victory away to Valladolid on August 25.

“We are missing something,” Valverde said after Sunday’s loss. “Every time we got back into the game, they hit us. It’s something to improve on, no doubt.”

It definitely is and even the best results have seen some slips at the back. The 4-2 win away to Tottenham in the Champions was widely applauded, yet was only confirmed by a late fourth goal, while the 5-1 victory over Real Madrid may have been very different if Los Blancos had taken one of two glorious chances at 2-1 early in the second half.

Barca actually did very well in Messi’s absence with an arm fracture, winning four games and drawing the other, and it may be that the team has to work harder as a collective to win when the Argentine is not there.

They certainly cannot rely on his brilliance alone to outscore the opposition when the defence is conceding like this and while top spot is still held at the moment in La Liga, the race remains wide open after 12 games as their lead was cut to a single point on Sunday.

In the Champions League, meanwhile, teams like Manchester City, a rejuvenated Real, Liverpool, Juventus, Atletico and others will fancy their chances against Barca’s back line in its current state.

Return of the king: Messi scored a brace on his comeback from injury (AFP/Getty Images)
Return of the king: Messi scored a brace on his comeback from injury (AFP/Getty Images)

Atletico are up next in La Liga, after the forthcoming international break, and the trip to the Wanda Metropolitano will represent another tough test for the champions’ defence. Valverde now has two weeks to work on improvements.