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Barcelona fans have singled out Pau Cubarsi for criticism for his performance during their 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, December 2, at Camp Nou.
The opening exchanges saw action from both ends, with Raphinha and Alex Baena coming close to scoring for their respective sides. While Barcelona had more of the ball, Atletico looked sharper with their passing. And in the 19th minute, the visitors took the lead through Alex Baena, who brilliantly beat an offside trap and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
Los Rojiblancos’ lead was short-lived, as Raphinha restored parity for Barcelona seven minutes later. Hansi Flick’s side had the opportunity to double their lead in the 36th minute after being awarded a penalty, but Robert Lewandowski blazed his spot kick over the crossbar.
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Barcelona started the second half on the front foot, and just after the hour mark, Dani Olmo turned it around for the Catalans, rounding out a sweeping move. The hosts endured a nervy ending but Ferran Torres put the game to bed in injury time with a close-range finish.
Cubarsi, who played the entirety of the match, looked off the pace in some moments. At one point, the defender headed the ball straight into the path of Baena and presented him with an open chance to score, but Garcia saved his blushes. After the match, fans took to X to berate him for his display, with one writing:
“Cubarsí is so ass man this is painful to watch.”
Another tweeted:
“Cubarsi is genuinely an embarrassing soccer player.”
A third added:
“Jesus Cubarsi what childish defending was that again.”
Another likened the Spaniard’s performance to Ronald Araujo’s against Chelsea, saying:
“Cubarsi paying tribute to Araujo this match.”
“Bro wtf happened to Cubarsi how’s he getting turned by SORLOTH,” a fan chimed in.
Hansi Flick ‘satisfied’ with Barcelona’s performance after 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick was happy with his team’s display after they saw off Atletico Madrid in Tuesday’s clash. The German tactician acknowledged Atletico’s threat and hailed his team’s determination.
He told reporters after the game:
“I think our performance was on another level. We played against a great team. We fought together, and that’s what I saw today. It was great, fantastic.
“I’m very satisfied. It’s important that new players keep arriving. There are some who aren’t at 100%, so we’ve had to make changes. We’ve gained more control, we’ve created more space. It’s been very positive.”
The win meant Barca opened a five-point lead at the top of the table, though they’ve played one match more than second-placed Real Madrid.
