‘The roar stayed with meowing’

Thursday, August 5, 2021 at 08:20• Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk • Last update: 08:27

Barcelona suffered the first (practice) defeat of the season on Wednesday evening. After three victories in the first three exhibition games in preparation, Ronald Koeman’s team had to swallow a minimal defeat against Red Bull Salzburg. A late goal resulted in a 2-1 defeat at the Red Bull Arena. On Thursday, the media in Spain analyzed the performance of Memphis Depay, who played ninety minutes, and the sudden introduction of Koeman’s 5-3-2 system. While Depay was unable to make the difference productively, the papers are once again praising his share.

“Depay couldn’t excel against Salzburg like in his debut against Girona or especially in the exhibition game with VfB Stuttgart. The attacker amazed the supporters in his first duels with his involvement, agility, aggressiveness and depth. Sport to read. The acquisition showed details of an absolute top footballer and a natural connection to Antoine Griezmann, plus the impression that he could give that little bit extra what Barcelona had lost with the departure of Luis Suarez. A Salzburg that has already started the competition was therefore a test by fire for Koeman’s second project, but also for Depay, who obtained a pass. The high pressure made the connection between the midfield and the attack more difficult. Depay had few opportunities to participate in the Barcelona game, but once he got there he showed his killer instinct.”

“Depay had to drop back into midfield to contribute to the game. He did that by making good decisions and hitting the ball once, as it should be according to Barcelona’s manual. And as soon as he got the chance, it became clear that he has only one goal: the goal.” After just over half an hour of play, Depay had a great chance to open the scoring. He shielded the ball well, penetrated the penalty area on the left and curled the ball narrowly diagonally. “That was a move that shows many similarities with his part in Yusuf Demir’s 0-2 against Stuttgart. Depay’s counter now stands at 216 minutes. Although he seemed somewhat tired at the end of the game, partly due to the many training sessions, he remained dangerous and showed beautiful things. The supporter now knows that a little Depay can be a lot.”

Sport only hands out four passes: two sixes for Nico González and Pablo Páez Gavira and second sevens for Ronald Araujo and Depay. “Depay dropped back into midfield many times to retrieve the ball. That made him less dangerous offensively. He went from more to less in a difficult game against an already well-oiled opponent and nevertheless he still had a very good chance of scoring a goal.” Also ASH praises Depay’s role in today’s Barcelona, ​​but points out that he cannot do it alone. “It is fortunate that this Dutchman has joined to help a team that often balances on the edge of winning or losing. Depay again showed his qualities and his added value, but this time there were few allies available to help him in the fight. Depay’s roar stayed with meowing this time.”

Bee marca there is not much to be found about Barcelona other than just a match report. Spain’s best-selling sports newspaper does reflect on the fact that Koeman suddenly opted for a 5-3-2 system, in contrast to previous duels in this practice campaign. “I think it’s important to be able to switch systems,” the trainer explained. “This system with three centre-backs has given us a lot this past season. I’m not going to take the plunge yet whether we continue with this system, but it’s good to practice it in a friendly match. If we can change the system, we will make it even more difficult for our opponents.”

Journalist Gabriel Sans van Mundo Deportivo hopes things will work out between Depay and Griezmann. He thinks the two can form a good tandem, even though Koeman still has plenty of attackers. “Koeman experimented against a Salzburg that is much further physically at this stage of the season. The collective result, including another system, failed, but once again the individual qualities came to light. Depay and Griezmann showed their differences. The Dutchman was looking for one-on-one situations, something that was missing last season. And the Frenchman was looking for the spaces and had a few chances on speed. Together they do not get in each other’s way and can form a good tandem. The opinion of the transfer market is something else,” Sans referred to a possible transfer from Griezmann. “The transfer market doesn’t understand football. Only sense of money.”