FC Barcelona is going through one of its most delicate attacking moments of the season. The team coached by Hansi Flick once again showed offensive struggles in the 1–1 draw against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, where the Catalan side had serious difficulties creating clear chances.
Barcelona’s only goal came late in the match from a penalty converted by Lamine Yamal, who now has 20 goals this season and remains the team’s top scorer.
Beyond that moment, however, Barça’s attack looked worrying once again.
Lewandowski and Raphinha far from their best level
The two experienced attackers in the front line, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, struggled to make an impact in the Champions League clash.
The Brazilian winger is still affected by physical issues that have followed him for much of the season. In the six matches since returning from injury, he has scored just once — also from the penalty spot against Atlético de Madrid.
Lewandowski also failed to dominate the English defenders. The Polish striker had a clear chance after a great pass from Raphinha but was unable to convert it.
Barça’s number nine has scored just once in the past month, in the 4–1 victory against Villarreal CF.
A clear drop in goals
The statistics clearly show the team’s offensive decline compared to last season.
At this same stage of the previous campaign, Barcelona’s attacking trio had produced nearly 60 goals across the league, the UEFA Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. This season the total stands at just 26 goals.
Lewandowski, for example, has scored 11 goals in LaLiga after 27 matches — exactly half of the 22 he had at this point last season.
In the Champions League the drop is even more striking: two goals this season compared to nine in the previous campaign.
The team context also plays a role
The offensive decline cannot be explained only by the individual performances of the forwards. Inside the club there is also a feeling that the team’s overall attacking fluency has slightly decreased.
Barcelona is creating fewer clear chances in the final third and has lost some of the dynamism it showed during Flick’s first months in charge.
Meanwhile, players like Fermín López are trying to bring energy from midfield to help compensate for the lack of goals up front.
Lamine carrying Barça’s attack
In this context, the performances of Lamine Yamal have become even more important.
The young winger is currently carrying much of Barcelona’s offensive production at a time when Lewandowski and Raphinha are going through one of their most difficult spells of the season.
For Flick, recovering the best version of his attacking trio will be crucial for the decisive final stretch of the campaign.
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