Curse of Balsa and the Stick

he FC Barcelona He once again collided head-on with misfortune. What was in this time was Anoetabefore that royal societyit was a desperate night when five balls to the post prevented Barça from winning. because he is balsa He did enough to keep Donosti from going home empty-handed, but between an unfavorable refereeing decision (three goals disallowed and one penalty annulled) and timber, he ended up paying a steep price.

The dry sound of the ball hitting the post became one of the main features of the match. balsa He gained the upper hand step by step, racking up more than 20 clear finishes along the way. Five very clear chances ended up scoring goals. Remiro. Too much to talk about bad luck.

5 suits…and always balsa

According to official sources published by FC BarcelonaSince OPTA started counting shots on the crate (2003/04 season), there have only been three times when a team hit five balls on the crate in the same game. Oddly enough, the three are starring in balsa: Previous December 2015 betisDecember 2017 vs. sports And now in 2026, royal society.

Furthermore, at Anoeta, all the goals came after the break. Dani Olmo He started the merry-go-round as soon as the second half started, hitting two consecutive shots (47th and 48th minute) that could have made it 1-1. In 1966, lewandowski I saw how his powerful headbutt was repelled. RemiroI ended up kissing the post before leaving. And in the final stage, Kounde (85′) and Rashforda direct corner at 90+2 completed a true exercise in collective frustration.

Situation coming from far away

What happened in Donosti is not an isolated episode, but a reinforcement of a pattern of events. balsa From the beginning of the course. Anoeta’s five sticks took the Barça team to 19 wood shots in La Liga and 23 in all competitions. Both rankings put Hansi Flick’s side top of Europe’s top five leagues.

he balsa Attack, generate, reach. In fact, they continue to be one of the most productive teams in Europe in terms of attacking power. But the stick has become his most recurring enemy, tormenting wingers, interior players and forwards alike. No one is saved: Lamine and Ferran (4), Olmo, Rafinha and Rashford (3), Lewandowski and Fermin (2), Eric and Kunde (1) They have already tasted the bitter taste of the tree.

balsa stick order

trees can withstand strong winds

Mallorca 0–3 Barça (Liga): Rafinha (58′) and Dani Olmo (69′).
Levante 2-3 Barça (Liga): Ferran Torres (36 minutes)
Barça 6-0 Valencia (League): Ferran Torres (50 minutes)
Barça 3-0 Getafe (League): Ferran Torres (42 minutes)
Oviedo 1-3 Barça (Liga): Rafinha (31 minutes) and Ferran (56 minutes)
Barça 2-1 Real Sociedad (Liga): Lewandowski (84 minutes)
Barça 2-1 Girona (League): Rashford (29′, direct free kick) and Fermin (51′)
Bruges 3-3 Barça (winner): Fermin (10′), Lamine Yamal (27′), Eric Garcia (58′)
Celta 2-4 Barça (League): Rashford (24′) and Lamine Yamal (88′)
FC Barcelona 3-1 Deportivo Alaves (Liga): Lamine Yamal (43 minutes)
Villarreal 0-2 FC Barcelona (League): Rafinha (15 minutes)
Racing 0-2 FC Barcelona (Copa del Rey): Lamine Yamal (64 minutes)
Real Sociedad 1-2 FC Barcelona (Liga): Dani Olmo (47′), Dani Olmo (48′), Lewandowski (66′), Kounde (85′), Rashford (90+2)

Please flick positively

Despite suffering the psychological blow of defeat, flick He preferred to remain optimistic. The German coach assessed the team’s performance and the amount of chances created and was convinced that this was the right path. Furthermore, Anoeta became an almost cursed stadium for them. balsa Although in recent years, There is a strangely reassuring precedent. Some of Barça’s last league defeats against Donosti ended with them clinching the league title at the end of the season.

If he balsa If they maintain the level of play they’ve shown and adjust their defensive concessions, the club’s misfortunes should eventually fade. Because in football, sooner or later the wood usually regains what it has taken away.