Marc Bernal said Barcelona cannot afford to keep giving away goals, even after another emphatic win. The Barcelona midfielder, who scored his first goal for the club in the 5-2 victory over Real Betis, said the team must tighten up before Tuesday’s Champions League visit to PSG.
His goal came in the 41st minute from a corner taken by Fermín López, a moment that fit Barcelona’s season so far: plenty of attacking force, and just enough looseness behind it to raise questions. Barcelona have won 13 straight matches and scored 48 goals in their first 11 official games, but they have also conceded 11 in that same stretch.
That imbalance is what Bernal was pointing to. Barcelona won their first nine LaLiga matches and took 27 points from 27, scoring 39 goals and allowing nine. They have been just as sharp in the Champions League, with nine goals scored and two conceded, but Bernal said the team still need to improve a lot in defense and adjust that side of their play to reach their maximum potential.
The warning lands because PSG is the toughest opponent Barcelona have faced so far this season. Barcelona’s attack has been overwhelming, but Bernal’s point is that the margin for error narrows in Europe, where one open spell can undo a night’s work. A team that has been so productive going forward is now being asked to prove it can stay balanced when the level rises.
Barcelona go to PSG on Tuesday carrying the numbers of a title contender and the concern of a side still leaking too many chances. If they want their run to continue in Paris, the next step is not another goal. It is a cleaner back line.
