Is the Balancing Act Breaking Barcelona?

As Sergio Aguero drove the final nail into Barcelona’s coffin in Atletico Madrid’s 4-3 victory at the Calderon last weekend, the Catalan faithful could be forgiven for being overcome with a horrifying sense of déjà-vu.

Ahead at the same point two seasons ago, the Blaugrana were reeled in by Real Madrid who snatched the title on the final day.

Enduring stuttering form not dissimilar to that experienced back then, the world wonders if Barcelona are going to blow it again.

The shocking lapses that saw Barcelona squander a 2-0 lead against Atletico are worrying signs that they are not the infallible wrecking machine that the footballing world was utterly convinced they were only a month ago.

Blunders by the occasionally error prone Victor Valdes, and the normally reliable captain Carles Puyol against Atletico were savagely punished, continuing a concerning trend for Barcelona which has seen them leak nineteen goals in their last sixteen matches. This is not the type of defensive stability possessed by a side that has serious domestic and European championship aspirations.

Recent results also suggest that Barcelona have been guilty of constantly trying to outscore the opposition. 3-2 has been a popular score line for the Catalans this season, but the 4-3 defeat to Atletico highlights the reliance placed by the team on high goal output to achieve victory.

In turn this has led many to believe that the attacking players have been carrying the team and one cannot help but feel that the Barcelona faithful would be happy to exchange some goals scored for the defensive solidarity of a Manchester United or resurgent rivals Real Madrid.

A more specific concern for Barcelona is being overly reliant on Argentine talisman Lionel Messi. The World Player of the Year favourite has been in career best form thus far, yet his absence or a rare below par display has a noticeably negative effect on his team.

His key role in the team has seen him unable to get a well needed rest. Even when benched, the diminutive striker has been sent into the fray all too often to rescue seemingly lost causes in matches against teams such as Racing Santander, Osasuna and Shakhtar Donetsk.

The expectations on Messi may be symptomatic of the fatigue supposedly engulfing the entire squad. Barcelona have averaged six matches a month since the season began across La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa Del Rey.

Guardiola is known for rotating players in an attempt to keep them fresh, yet his tendency to stick with practically the same squad each week may be starting to tell, with both Yaya Toure and Xavi having suggested that the team is starting to struggle with fatigue due to the sheer volume of matches being played.

Interestingly, some have suggested the notion of Barcelona’s long suffered inferiority complex at the hands of Real Madrid. While the concept itself is debatable, there is little doubt that the revival of Los Merengues has shaken Barcelona.

After replacing defeatist German manager Bernd Schuster with Juande Ramos, Real have powered into second position with ten league wins in a row, conceding only four goals. Ironically, Ramos’ first game was a 2-0 defeat at the Nou Camp, his side showing renewed resilience and grit as they unluckily succumbed to a late pair of goals. Since then, Real have been unstoppable.

Their superb run has heaped pressure onto Barcelona who appeared to be cruising to league victory with a record haul. At one stage fifteen points clear of Real, the Catalan side’s advantage has been slashed to four points, their fragile displays of late indicating that this team might not yet have the steel to finish off a campaign that began with such promise.

Guardiola now faces his first real test of the season; being able to get his wobbling charges back on track, as well as repel the increasing threat of Real Madrid.

Questioned as the right managerial choice at the beginning of the season, Guardiola will need to address the weaknesses in the team and finish what he has started—beginning with victory over Athletic Bilbao at the Nou Camp this weekend.