Deportiva La Coruna vs. Barcelona: Win Shows Back-Line Health Crucial for Barca

Barcelona escaped with a narrow 5-4 victory over Deportivo La Coruña, and the victory proves how badly Barça needs its back line to be healthy.

The team’s heralded pair of starting centre-backs are both out with injury, and this was a significant factor in the team’s dreadful defensive performance. Gerard Pique is still on the sidelines after injuring his foot in late September, while Carles Puyol is recovering from a gruesome elbow injury he suffered in the team’s October 2 Champions League game against Benfica.

To make matters worse, Dani Alves injured his hamstring in the team’s tie with Real Madrid on October 7, and he too is out of commission. 

Puyol and Piqué have been at the heat of the team’s defensive success over the past several seasons, and Alves has also played a crucial role. Without these players, the Blaugrana have shown that the back line will struggle against both prolific and poor opponents. 

In the team’s last two La Liga matches, they have faced Real Madrid and Deportivo. Against Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed shocking amounts of space on both of his goals. Luckily, Lionel Messi was able to score two goals as well, and the match ended 2-2.

Against 18^th-place Deportivo, the Barça back four were in shambles again.

Javier Mascherano and Alex Song, both converted central midfielders, played in place of Puyol and Pique. Song was confused and lost far too often during the match, and despite Mascherano’s experience playing at the position, the Argentine had an extremely poor outing. 

A foul by Mascherano gave Deportivo a penalty kick and their first goal in the 26^th minute. This was not a cause for much worry at the time, as Jordi Alba, Cristian Tello and Messi all put their names on the scoresheet in the first 18 minutes. 

Alex Bergantiños cut the lead to 3-2 minutes before Messi scored again, and Barça’s high-powered offense continued to mask its defensive deficiencies, allowing the team to take a 4-2 lead into halftime.

But the first five minutes after play resumed brought disaster for Barcelona. Pizzi—who had converted the earlier penalty kick—scored again in the 47^th minute, and Mascherano was sent off after his second yellow card shortly thereafter. 

With the young and inexperienced Martín Montoya joining Song and Alba—both new to the team this season—as the remaining defenders, the back line continued to look shaky. 

Messi continued his brilliance in the 77^th minute and completed his hat trick, but an own goal from Alba ensured that the result would remain in doubt until the final whistle. 

Allowing four goals to a team that had earned just six points in seven La Liga fixtures proves how much Barça’s patchwork defense is struggling. Messi and the frighteningly dangerous attack have been able to produce enough goals to save the team from defeat, but this is not something the team will be able to count on in important matches. 

If Barcelona hopes to regain the La Liga title and make a deep run in Champions League, it will need its back line to stay healthy, as the reserves are proving that they are not up to par.