FC Barcelona – La Liga A month spent on the road
January was expected to be a potentially painful month for an out-of-form Barcelona, with every match so far coming away from the Camp Nou. Yet Ronald Koeman‘s charges have put together a quite brilliant roadshow, picking up excellent results that have steadied their domestic season.
Barcelona have yet to play at the Camp Nou in 2021, but they have won four out of four away matches in LaLiga Santander, starting with a 1-0 victory at Huesca and culminating in a comfortable 2-0 victory over Elche.
They did lose the Supercopa de Espana final, but Wednesday night’s win at Vallecano Ray keeps them alive in the Copa del Rey.
Even more important than the results, this run has seen Barcelona regain their self-confidence, which had taken a knock in the early months of Koeman‘s tenure.
Players who had been out of form and injured have returned and been integral parts of the club’s recent successes.
So far, 2021 has been the year of Frenkie de Jong, the midfielder who breaks from midfield and finishes moves off.
Four of his five goals this season have come in the month of January.
Ousmane Dembele has managed to move past his injures and the indiscipline which threatened his Blaugrana career and he has become a committed, decisive and regular starter for Barcelona.
Even Lionel Messi seems different. He once again seems a motivated player, convinced he can build something solid this term.
He has scored five goals this month, with two braces coming against Athletic Club and Granada.
For all the talk of Eric Garcia, Barcelona have actually found internal solutions to their defensive problems in the form of Ronald araujo and Oscar Mingueza.
Their youthful exuberance and freshness have completed the makeover of what is now a totally different Blaugrana team to the one which began the campaign under such a cloud.
They are committed to the cause and individual players have taken a step forward and it’s all working for the common good.
Koeman has managed to get his players connected to the cause and this is how Barcelona‘s 2021 has started so impressively.
This weekend, they finally return home to host Athletic Club at the Camp Nou in LaLiga Santander.
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