Late Luis Suarez-Inspired Rally Cannot Disguise Major Problems at Barcelona

Barcelona narrowly escaped their third straight La Liga loss on Saturday thanks to some late heroics from Luis Suarez. The former Liverpool striker came on as a sub in the second half and orchestrated two assists to help the Catalans win 2-1.

The second-half rally showed signs of what Lionel Messi, Neymar and Suarez can do together, though they are far from their cohesive peak. Regardless, the Catalans should not have needed such a rally against Almeria, and the final scoreline won’t disguise the major problems that are currently plaguing Barcelona.

Fans have a right to be excited about a late comeback victory, but they must be careful. This win only plugs a small hole in this sinking ship, but there are tons of issues that must be dealt with immediately.

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At first glance, the defense is still a very big problem. Whether it is defending set pieces or counter-attacks, the Blaugrana back line just continues to be beaten. Additionally, defenders are still making unnecessary errors that give opponents far too many chances throughout matches.

Gerard Pique may be the least dependable defender in the squad at this point, but the others are failing to step up.

The likes of Jeremy Mathieu and Javier Mascherano may be able to put in a strong showing at times, but they are still being found out against tougher opponents. Marc Bartra, who has arguably been the best defender this season, was also unable to hold back the quick counter of Thievy, who scored Almeria’s opener in the first half.

It isn’t just one or two defenders playing at a low level; the entire defensive unit is struggling. It may be manager Luis Enrique’s defensive tactics that are causing these problems, but at the same time, it may simply be that the players are not at the level that a club like Barcelona needs.

Almeria was able to control the game for nearly the entire first half in Saturday’s clash, which is absolutely unacceptable for Barcelona. Their defense was unable to win back possession and was lucky that the hosts were not able to finish off some of the chances they created.

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However, just blaming the Barcelona defense for the last few performances is not fair in the least. The team as a whole is struggling, and opponents can see it as clear as day.

While the back line has struggled to keep opponents at bay, the midfield has found it extremely difficult to control the center of the park.

Barcelona is used to having a complete monopoly over midfield play in every match they play, but that hasn’t been the case lately. The team has not been keeping possession as well as they have in recent years, nor have they been able to create consistent scoring chances.

With the midfield unable to hold everything together, it is not surprising that the offense is struggling to score while the defense sees attack after attack.

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Speaking of the offense, things just aren’t what they should be at Barcelona. Since the introduction of Luis Suarez, the Blaugrana attack has found scoring to be much more difficult, although he was the reason for Barcelona’s comeback against Almeria.

For whatever reason, the Catalans forwards are not finishing off chances. Barcelona hit the crossbar three times against Almeria and also struck the post a few times in their last three matches as well.

Finishing has become a real issue for Barcelona when it should be something they excel at with the likes of Neymar, Messi and Suarez in the fold.

The midfield may be struggling to create chances for the forwards, but that hasn’t kept Barcelona from getting good looks. Messi and Neymar have been able to create on their on and for each other over the last few contests, and now it is safe to say that Suarez feels comfortable setting his teammates up.

It doesn’t matter how many chances a team creates during a game if they can’t capitalize on those moments. Right now, the Barcelona forwards are finding it extremely difficult to put the ball in the back of the net, and that can become a mental roadblock at times if it continues.

From front to back, things are just bad at Barcelona right now. The defense continues to bleed goals while the midfield and offense give them very little on the other end of the pitch. Luis Enrique must now take a hard look at this team and his tactics if the club is going to compete for silverware this season.

Barcelona may have gotten the win against Almeria in a very exciting finish, but that simply will not mask the glaringly obvious problems for the Camp Nou outfit. It is time for a major look in the mirror for Barcelona—and possibly some big changes.

What is the biggest reason for Barcelona's poor performances recently? What must the club do to right the ship? Leave your thoughts and comments below!