Thomas Muller’s damning assessment of Barcelona has rung true due to a problem he identified earlier in the season.
Xavi Hernandez’s side crashed out of the Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night as his side were outclassed by their opponents.
While the Blaugrana netted two consolation goals in injury time to take the sting out of the magnitude of the defeat, it was still a hugely damaging night for the club.
Barca may be unbeaten in La Liga since 3 December and the in-form Spanish club but their frailties against German opposition was once again exposed. It was the fourth time they have played a Bundesliga outfit this campaign and they have lost three of them in convincing fashion while also securing a draw in an underwhelming performance in Frankfurt last week.
The other two defeats were three-goal losses against Bayern Munich in the group stage of the Champions League, with Barca outplayed in both matches. It followed less than two years on from the club’s humiliating 8-2 defeat against the German champions in the Champions League quarter finals.
Muller – who has played a prominent role in multiple high-profile Bayern wins over the Catalan side - said after Bayern’s back-to-back three-goal wins over Barca: "I think Barça can't cope with the intensity. Technically, they have it all, they are great players tactically and technically. But they can't cope with the intensity in top football."
This assessment played out in Barca’s humbling against Frankfurt.
There is little question that Barca have players who are technically superior to their German opponents – who languish in ninth spot in the Bundesliga and are unlikely to secure European qualification this campaign through a domestic finish – yet Frankfurt’s style of play proved to be something that they could not deal with.
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Frankfurt played with an intensity and directness that Barca could not handle with their pacey and punchy counter-attacks ripping through the Barca midfield and exposing the fact that their full-backs were pushed high up the pitch, and subsequently left space for their opponents on the flanks. It is a style of play that has continually exposed Barca – and on a wider point, Spanish teams generally – in recent campaigns.
Barca boss Xavi said after the game: "We have had control in the game. There were mistakes that you pay for in Europe. Now we have to focus on La Liga. We have tried. We don't see this as a failure. We've tried and we've tried. I see it as a very big disappointment and the main goal for us is to get into the Champions League."
