Given Barcelona sit top of La Liga and their Champions League group, things seem to be going according to plan for boss Ernesto Valverde so far this season.
However, that would be papering over a concerning crack for the Catalan giants which was brutally exposed by Real Betis in their 4-3 win at the Nou Camp on Sunday.
SEE MORE: Lionel Messi annoyed with this Ernesto Valverde decision in Barcelona’s shock 3-4 loss to Real Betis
As noted by Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have now conceded 18 goals in their first 12 league games for the first time since the 1974/75 campaign, while it’s been 15 years since they last conceded four goals at home.
Further, their loss to Betis ended a 42-game unbeaten streak at the Nou Camp, and so it surely has to be a wake-up call for all concerned that they must improve defensively or risk seeing their hopes of winning major honours this season disappear.
Perhaps the return of Samuel Umtiti from injury will make a significant difference as his partnership with Gerard Pique undoubtedly showed that Barcelona were a much stronger and compact unit at the back last season.
However, whether it’s an error from Marc-Andre ter Stegen or a red card for Ivan Rakitic, it all went wrong for Valverde and his men this past weekend against a very talented Betis side who took their opportunity to spring a major shock.
Time will tell how Barcelona adjust and regroup over the international break, but as the statistics and figures above make glaringly obvious, their defence is their biggest weakness currently and decisions will have to be taken to rectify those problems to avoid it becoming an issue that plagues them throughout the campaign.
As seen in the videos below, nothing can be taken away from Betis either as they were brilliant, but Barcelona must be better defensively.
| GOAL! |
IT’S FOUR FOR REAL BETIS. ?
Sergi Canales makes it 4-2 at the Camp Nou. pic.twitter.com/f13Zv1c3qd
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) November 11, 2018
| GOAL! |
Real Betis go Barcelona-esque with a beautiful team goal! ?
The pass from William Carvalho and the finish from Firpo Junior = ? pic.twitter.com/Z8q6Z07DHC
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) November 11, 2018
| GOAL! |
Real Betis are 2-0 up at the Camp Nou! ?
37-year-old Joaquin, hadn’t scored against Barcelona since the 04/05 season, he’s just ended that dry spell! pic.twitter.com/7cO6xIe8QU
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) November 11, 2018
