Barcelona were held to a 3-3 draw against Club Brugge in the Champions League last night despite Lamine Yamal’s brilliance.
Nicolo Tresoldi put the visitors ahead inside six minutes after Barca botched their efforts to maintain a high line.
Ferran Torres equalised quickly by nodding home Fermin Lopez’s cross, with Yamal playing an incisive pass in the build-up.
However, the hosts sliced through Barca’s defence with a devastating counterattack for Carlo Forbs’ goal in the 17th minute.
Yamal’s moment of inspiration after the second half restored parity for the visitors. He took on a host of defenders and linked up with Lopez before placing his shot into the bottom left corner.
But the joy didn’t last long as Forbes capitalised on Barca’s catastrophic defending to complete his brace and put Brugge in front again.
Yamal saved Barca’s blushes as his strike took a massive deflection off Christos Tzolis to make it 3-3.
He produced his best performance of the season, but Barca’s continuous defensive struggles marred his efforts.
The 18-year-old looked sharper than ever, creating five chances and completing a game-high five dribbles.
He was one of the positives of the game, and his performance is another strong indication that he is starting to come into his own.
But the bigger picture remains Barca’s inconsistent results and their questionable collective performances.
Manager Hansi Flick will be under scrutiny again as opponents continue to exploit Barca’s defensive frailties.
The German needs to fix the glaring issue soon to keep Barca’s title aspirations alive. Their fluctuating form raises plenty of questions.
