Hi community!
Worrying increase in cards in recent matches for Barcelona.
If you take a look at the league's card rankings this season, you'll see that Barcelona is one of the teams that has received the fewest. This would be something to celebrate, because cards ultimately have consequences in the form of suspensions. However, it's not all good news, because there's another side to these statistics. And that is the large number of cards Flick's team has received in recent matches.
Barcelona comfortably led the card rankings, but everything has changed in recent weeks, with a significant increase. The Blaugrana have played 16 official matches this season: 12 in La Liga and 4 in the Champions League. In the first eight, the team only received 10 yellow cards, an excellent statistic.
https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/barcelona-dec-31-referee-lahoz-shows-2349288579
However, in the following eight matches, the number of cards skyrocketed, and the first expulsions appeared. In total, 25 cards were shown, two of which resulted in red cards for the same player in a single match. This represents a 150% increase compared to the first half of the season, a dangerous percentage because those two expulsions already meant that Pedri and De Jong were unavailable for selection due to one-match suspensions.
And to these cautions we must add those of Hansi Flick. In the match against Girona, the German coach received two yellow cards, so Gil Manzano also showed him a red. He served his one-match suspension a week later at the Bernabéu. Barcelona tried every possible means to avoid the punishment, but they were unsuccessful, and the German watched the match from a VIP box.
One of Barcelona's strengths last season was the low number of cards their players received. This had a significant impact on the team, as they weren't at risk of suspension until the final stages of the season, both in La Liga and the Champions League. This allowed Flick to have all his players available except for those sidelined with injuries.
In this campaign, red cards have already resulted in the first sanctions. Furthermore, to give an idea of the change, two Barcelona players (De Jong and Casadó) received two yellow cards in the first two Champions League matches. This means they are already one booking away from suspension, which could limit their playing style as they try to avoid another card that would cost them a one-match ban.
See You soon!