FC Barcelona 2-0 Villarreal: Hits and Flops | LaLiga 2018-19

Aleña sealed Barcelona's win with a beautiful chip
Aleña sealed Barcelona's win with a beautiful chip

#4 Flop: Philippe Coutinho

The left wing is not meant for Coutinho
The left wing is not meant for Coutinho

Philippe Coutinho was easily the worst player on the pitch. The reason could have been his unlikely positioning in the left wing. He looked really bleak during the build-up play. His reading of the game was really poor. He either misplaced his passes or failed to read the weight on the pass towards him.

He was dispossessed from possession on two occasions. His threatening curler from outside the box never came into action. He never made a key pass even after being in a forward position. Coutinho lacked confidence on the ball during the dribbles. Vidal and Dembele were more influential in the build-up than Coutinho was.

Valverde should either move Coutinho centrally or look to play him in the centre midfield because he is not really making it count on the left wing. He is not a fast runner which becomes a necessity in the wings. A disappointing night for the Brazilian.

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