September 21, 2025. That's the date of FC Barcelona's last clean sheet . It was a La Liga match against Getafe, a 3-0 victory. Since then, the Catalan club has conceded at least one goal in every game, and its weaknesses have been exposed to the world during Champions League nights , by Newcastle and especially PSG. Regardless of the players—Cubarsi, Araujo, Garcia—the central defensive pairing is too exposed, and certain individual performances raise questions week after week.
This is the case with Frenchman Jules Koundé, who will once again be singled out following the spectacular draw against Club Brugge . On the first goal, he was poorly positioned, a step behind his teammates, allowing Forbs to break free. Rated 3 by the newspaper Sport , he was criticized: "He misjudged the offside line, which allowed Brugge to open the scoring. His performance hardly improved afterward. His only notable contribution was a shot that hit the post. He remained listless in the second half, a far cry from his form of last year."
Defense in constant danger
His counterpart on the left, Baldé, was hardly more inspired defensively, involved in Belgium's second and third goals. The central defensive pairing was under pressure throughout the match, as was Szczesny, who was saved by VAR after a costly turnover late in the game. Beyond the defense, it's Flick's system that is regularly called into question for the defensive fragility it generates. Neither De Jong nor Casado provided an effective safety net in midfield.
"The defensive errors were so significant that Club Brugge conceded two goals they probably never dared dream of. Only Lamine Yamal's exceptional performance gave Barça fans renewed hope and made them forget this catastrophic defensive display ," wrote Sport on Wednesday evening. While the defense continues to prevent Barça from dreaming of major titles this season, Lamine Yamal's performance reignited the flame after less accomplished displays due to his persistent groin injury. A goalscorer and a constant threat, the Spanish winger cannot single-handedly plug the gaping holes that remain in the defense with his attacking impact.
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