Flick was helpless as Barcelona fired 27 shots but lost the match and the top spot, setting a record for the second time in 21 years.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the La Liga lead changed. Indeed, Barcelona’s loss allowed Real Madrid to take the top spot. In the last game of the 24th round, Barcelona fell 1-2 to Girona on the road. Since Real Madrid had already won their match earlier this round, Barcelona, who had been leading by one point, dropped to second place by two points after this defeat, with Real Madrid now leading by two points and regaining the advantage in the title race.

In this match, Barcelona’s coach Flick’s tactics were flawless, with the team taking 27 shots throughout the game but still losing. This is only the second time since the 2004-05 season that Barcelona has lost despite having 27 or more shots in a single match. The first time was in October 2015 when Barcelona lost 1-2 to Sevilla after firing 28 shots. This means that in the past 21 years, Barcelona has only lost twice when taking 27+ shots in a game. The problem isn’t the attack itself, but the poor finishing by the forwards.

According to post-match statistics, Barcelona held 71% possession and took 27 shots, but only 4 were on target — practically shooting blindly. Perhaps the forwards forgot to take off their sunglasses before playing; it was a complete blackout!

The most expensive forward on the pitch in this matchYamal had 7 shots with 1 on target, Fermin 5 shots but none on target, Raphinha 4 shots with none on target, Roni came off the bench with 3 shots and 1 on target, Eric Garcia 2 shots and 1 on target, Ferran 2 shots with none on target.... It seemed like Barcelona players left their shooting boots in the locker room and played wearing “high heels”—it was hard to describe.

In my opinion, can a player like Ferran play as a number 9? Barcelona’s urgent task now is to sign a strong striker to replace Lewandowski, whose contract expires at the end of this season. Who do you think would be the best fit?