Does anyone really believe Barcelona will come back?
Ridiculous. There is no other word to define what happened in the San Mames. Barcelona let in four goals and were incapable of scoring any against an Athletic who took full advantage of their defensive deficiencies. A team absolutely turgid when it came to creating moves and on no occasion finding salvation in Saint Messi. The sextuple is almost impossible. To win the Spanish Super Cup would take a miracle. Does anyone believe in a comeback? It's difficult to imagine a 5-0 win at the Camp Nou.
Luis Enrique made a lot of rotations. Too many. It's true that there have only been three days between this game and the last, which went to extra-time. But the team was destroyed by six changes. With Vermaelen and Bartra at the heart of the defence. With Adriano as a left-back. And Sergi Roberto as an interior. Mascherano in defensive midfield. And Pedro on the wing. It didn¡t work. Barcelona couldn't put together any play and, moreover, left defensive loopholes which made Athletic's triumph a lot easier.
More than losing the Spanish Super Cup and the possibility of doing the sextuple, the real worry is Barcelona's defensive fragility. In two official games they have conceded eight goals. EIGHT! Absolutely incredible. They let four in against Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup final and four more against Athletic at the San Mames. A black hole for Luis Enrique to solve before La Liga starts.
