FC Barcelona was hammered by AS Monaco 3-0 on Monday night at the Montjuic Stadium, in turn losing … [+]
FC Barcelona was hammered 3-0 by AS Monaco at the Montjuic Stadium on Monday night, in turn losing the Joan Gamper Trophy for the first time in 12 years.
The evening started with whistles for high earners Frenkie de Jong and Clement Lenglet while the first team squad was presented before kick off, as is tradition in what is regarded to be Barca’s season opener before its La Liga debut.
But there would be more boos to follow as the Catalans were overwhelmed at the back by their French visitors and conceded three sloppy second half goals.
Barca went down the tunnel with the score tied 0-0 at half time, with Raphinha having a successful effort ruled offside.
Head coach Hansi Flick hooked defender Andreas Christensen and midfielder Pablo Torre during the interval to introduce Sergi Dominguez and Ilkay Gundogan.
In the latter mentioned German’s case, however, he could muster barely more than 20 minutes before being brought off for Ferran Torres.
Gundogan was blamed by some fans for slowing down Barca’s tempo, and it was just four minutes after his introduction that the first goal was conceded.
Amid a mix-up at the back, Marc Bernal was fast asleep when receiving the ball and oblivious to Lamine Camara’s pressing him ahead of netting his side’s opener.
Gundogan losing the ball resulted in Breel Embolo doubling Monaco’s account around the hour mark as Christian Mawissa made it three four minutes from time.
There were boos in the immediate aftermath of the last of those two strikes, and a “confused” Barca was roasted by SPORT for playing “without spark, without intensity, without pressure, [and] without speed”.
“There is no mobility, the circulation of the ball is very slow and on top of that the team is showing a very soft defence. Five days until the [La Liga] debut in Valencia, the feelings are not good at all,” the Catalan paper added.
Through the loss, Barca ceded the Joan Gamper Trophy for the first time since 2012 when Sampdoria beat it 1-0 in Camp Nou.
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