Barcelona have had a setback in their UCL campaign after a mediocre display saw them lose to Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at Volksparkstadion. The La Liga giants endured a frustrating night in front of goal as their established forwards looked far from their best.
The likes of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres were all handed starts in this vital fixture away from home. Barcelona fans, on the road, would have expected an improved performance upfront as their recent match against Real Sociedad lacked conviction, despite a last-minute triumph by Ronald Araujo.
Following 90 minutes of uninspired play, the disappointed Barcelona supporters reaped what they sowed: a defeat at the hands of a resolute Ukrainian opposition.
It would be unfair to simply throw all the blame on a single player, especially on a day when all 11 Barca players were shabby in their own way.
Barcelona hurt by poor attacking display
A matter of concern for the Catalan giants would be their attacking front. Despite boasting prime attackers such as Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Joao Felix, the frontline has failed to deliver impressive performances so far this season.
After the loss to Shakhtar Donetsk, a worrying stat regarding Lewandowski emerged stating he has gone without a goal in his last six Barcelona matches across all competitions, marking his most extended scoring dry spell since a 10-game period at Borussia Dortmund between December 2010 and February 2011.
Here’s the official stat :
6 - Robert Lewandowski has failed to score in any of his last six games for Barcelona in all competitions, his worst goal drought since a 10-match spell with Borussia Dortmund between December 2010 and February 2011. Strange. pic.twitter.com/EoO5kyskRZ
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 7, 2023
The Polish striker, no stranger to goal droughts, is facing a challenging phase. However, his current struggles have cast a dark shadow over the Catalans, impacting them in the most devastating manner imaginable.
Barcelona’s silverware fortunes largely rely on the former Bayern star and it will be imperative for manager Xavi Hernandez to find a way to get his main marksman to hit top form ahead of the crucial stage of the season.
Moving on, Barcelona will now head back to home turf as they are scheduled to host Alaves on Sunday. The Catalan fans will pray their team put up an improved performance as the La Liga giants seek to recover from their loss in the Champions League.