In some ways going in at 0-0 isn’t the worst thing for Barcelona against Bilbao tonight. They often struggle in this fixture and they haven’t played well, so things could be a lot worse.
That’s not to say the fans are happy with the performance, something still seems to be missing and it’s almost like sacking Ernesto Valverde has made no real difference.
The plight of Ivan Rakitic has been especially interesting over this season. At the start of the campaign he was out of the team and a January departure seemed inevitable, but he slowly found his way back into the team.
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It’s hard to say if his continued presence in the side is down to his own brilliance or the lack of alternative options, but it seems that a lot of the fans are now losing patience.
The most common complaint seems to be a lack of athleticism that prevents him from keeping up with their pressing style, and there’s been plenty of complaints about his first half performance online:
Rakitic is an absolutely useless footballer. I hate having to repeat this week in, week out. Why is Vidal on the bench? Why is Ter Stegen having brain farts? If you noticed, the 2 times Ter Stegen gave the ball away, he was trying to find Rakitic. Coincidence. Bloody Croatian!
— StayWoke (@aromol_staywoke) February 6, 2020
rakitic runs away from the passes
— Ansumanne (@Ansumanne1) February 6, 2020
Get Rakitic OUT!!
— Brandon (@5kamish) February 6, 2020
What do u guys see in rakitic..guy is lost when under pressure. And is running away from passes by MATS. Wtfff
— Helelleuvich (@helelleuvich) February 6, 2020
Rakitic and Jordi Alba are a disgrace.
— BarçaNation (@FCBNation08) February 6, 2020
Why does Rakitic lines up today, he only pass to goalkeeper.
— TN0418 (@TN04181) February 6, 2020
Real Madrid were knocked out by Real Sociedad earlier on this evening, so Barcelona should be odds on to win the cup if they can find a way past Bilbao.