Barca are currently top of La Liga, having won their last two seasons. Meanwhile, Huesca is a rookie and will almost certainly return to Segunda next season when he is at the bottom of the table. Therefore, fans predicted that the clash between Barca and Huesca would be the biggest match in La Liga this season.
With the Champions League quarter-finals and La Liga almost in his pocket, Coach Valverde has made personnel calculations. Specifically, Messi, Ivan Rakitic, Busquets and Sergi Roberto were suspended while Pique and Suarez were suspended, Coach Valverde chose a reserve team with many new players against Huesca. Up front, the Spaniard arranged Malcom and Boateng to pair up with Dembele.
In defense, 2 young players Wague and Todibo were put on the field from the start. In midfield, Riqui Puig also had his first starting match in La Liga. play against this bright star in midfield, his seniors Vidal and Carles Alena. This was the first La Liga match between Riqui Puig, Wague and Todibo.
Playing with a reserve team, Barcelona played well because Huesca was too weak to make a difference. Not only dominating the ball possession period (78 compared to 22,2%), the Catalan team also dominated the match. However, with a patchwork formation, Barca had difficulty breaking through Huesca's dense defense.
Controlling the ball well and dominating the game, but throughout the first half, coach Valverde's team only created 1 clear scoring opportunity. In the 16th minute, receiving the ball from Riqui Puig's smart pass, Dembele rushed down to face goalkeeper Santamaria. However, the French international's shot was blocked by the home goalkeeper, missing Barca's best chance in the first 45 minutes.
In the first minutes of the second half, Huesca gradually abandoned the death-and- end style of play, raising the formation more, making the match quite exciting. The game was somewhat open, helping Barcelona create some dangerous opportunities, typically Malcom's post-poned smash in the 56th minute. In the following minutes, like the first 45 minutes, the Catalan team was still helpless in penetrating the opponent's net.
At the dead end, coach Valverde immediately sent Jordi Alba, Coutinho and then Arthur onto the field. The presence of this trio did not help Barca's attacking style of play improve. The Catalan side have not even created any clear chances since Alba, Coutinho and Arthur came on and accepted to leave Aragon in a goalless draw.
