Barcelona came away from St James’ Park with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, which on the surface seemed promising for Hansi Flick’s team.
Given the situation, Barcelona might feel pleased with the result.
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Flick was compelled to make several changes to his starting lineup, and the team faced some troubling moments during the match when both midfielders Marc Bernal and Pedri required medical attention.
Considering this context, securing a draw and having the second leg at the Spotify Camp Nou appears to be a favorable outcome.
However, a deeper look into the match statistics tells a different story.
Barcelona conceded yet again in the Champions League, marking their continued failure to keep a clean sheet in the competition this season.
Even more troubling was the team’s inability to control possession, which has historically been one of the club’s greatest strengths.
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Examining the concerning stats
Against Newcastle’s relentless pressing, the Catalans looked unusually uneasy in possession.
The team managed just 403 passes, marking the lowest total recorded in a match this season.
To put that into perspective, Barcelona typically averages around 700 passes per match, with a peak of 844 passes in a single game.
Not only was the passing count lower, but the accuracy also suffered.
Barcelona completed only 81.14% of their passes during the match, significantly below their normal standard of nearly 90%.
Barcelona was fortunate to secure a draw against Newcastle United. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
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Another significant issue was where these passes occurred. A large portion were made between defenders in Barcelona’s own half instead of in attacking areas.
The difficulties faced against Newcastle echoed the troubles Barcelona encountered earlier this season in a heavy 0-3 loss to Chelsea.
Challenges Against Premier League Teams
In that game, Flick’s side also had issues moving the ball forward.
Against Newcastle, Barcelona completed just 79 passes in the final third. In contrast, during a league match against Real Madrid earlier this season, they recorded 176 passes in that attacking area.
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The statistics were even poorer in the Chelsea defeat, where Barcelona managed only 56 passes in the final third.
Possession statistics also tell a revealing story.
Barcelona typically controls the ball in most matches, but their lowest figure this season came against Chelsea with just 44% possession. In comparison, against Newcastle, they had 54.26%.
Challenges with High Pressing
Another focus for Flick is winning the ball high on the pitch and maintaining collective defensive efforts. However, this strategy wasn’t evident against Newcastle either.
Barcelona only recovered 41 balls during the match, one of the lowest counts all season.
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The only lower figure came in the Chelsea match, where they managed just 37 recoveries.
All these statistics indicate that Barcelona was lucky to leave St James’ Park with a draw. While the result keeps the tie alive for the second leg, the numbers reveal a more alarming reality.