Why Barcelona should be worried about defensive leader’s performance vs Dortmund | OneFootball

Barcelona secured a place in the Champions League semifinals despite a 3-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of their quarterfinal clash at Signal Iduna Park.

Carrying a 4-0 lead from the first leg at Montjuïc, Hansi Flick’s side weathered a spirited Dortmund comeback, but their defeat highlighted multiple problems that still exist within the Barça team that must be addressed at the earliest.

Should Barcelona be concerned about Araujo?

The performance of Ronald Araujo, in particular, should be a deeply concerning factor for Barcelona heading into the final phase of the campaign.

Starting ahead of Inigo Martinez due to the veteran defender’s yellow card situation, Araujo endured a torrid night, where he was dominated by the Dortmund attackers.

Struggling to initiate play from the back, his wayward passing invited Dortmund’s press, disrupting Barcelona’s rhythm.

A tough night for Ronald Araujo in Dortmund (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Moreoever, Araujo was left completely exposed when defending open spaces, which is something that was pointed out by Javi Miguel of Diario AS after the match.

This allowed Dortmund star Serhou Guirassy to completely outpace and outmuscle the Uruguayan international, who has never really managed to come into his own since returning from injury.

His botched clearance on Dortmund’s third goal – a critical error was a key highlight of the defender’s lack of focus and concentration, which is unbecoming of a great player.

More concerning for Barça is the growing realization that their defensive reliability now hinges almost entirely on the pairing of Pau Cubarsi and Martinez. Whenever that duo is broken up – due to injury, suspension, or rotation – the drop-off is significant.

With the season entering its most decisive stage, Barcelona cannot afford these lapses. They will need to lean heavily on a stable backline if they are to challenge for titles.

Hansi Flick, to that end, must now make some tough decisions when it comes to managing his defensive troops, going into the final phase of the campaign.