It seems that La Liga teams have found a way to counter Barcelona's high defensive line, which has been a key tactical aspect in the Blaugrana's flying high in the early stages of the season.
Besides, coach Hansi Flick's players are no longer themselves compared to the beginning of the season. They have become tired, lack sharpness and play in a formulaic way.
And of course, Flick himself has also contributed to Barca's predicament by not rotating his squad often enough or well enough.
Finally, when Barcelona were flying high and scoring goals, Robert Lewandowski was playing very impressively in attack. That hid the fact that when Lewandowski was not well supported by his teammates, he was no longer himself. Slow, prone to losing the ball as well as passing to the wrong address, the Polish striker almost "disappeared" on the field. The question even arose, should Lewy be in the starting lineup at this time?
To sum up Barcelona's difficulties, the image of Lamine Yamal holding back his pain to play against Leganes is the most typical proof. Or it could be Antonio Rudiger's mocking smile when he knew that Barcelona lost by a minimum score against Leganes.
It's not hard to understand the joy of the Real Madrid centre-back. Los Blancos were held to a draw by Rayo Vallecano but they were still able to close the gap on Barcelona.
All of this makes for a stormy home game for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid. Flick will still be absent from the sidelines due to suspension and the fact that Yamal is also injured. The Spaniard's availability will depend on medical tests. And remember, Barcelona have not won a single La Liga game this season without Yamal starting.
For all the eccentric but undeniably powerful Diego Simeone has achieved in his 13 years in charge of Atletico, winning La Liga against Barcelona is not one of them. In fact, they have not beaten Barca away from home in the league for nearly 19 years.
Barcelona have beaten Bayern Munich and Real Madrid with aplomb. But that could all change if they lose to Atletico Madrid this weekend. They could lose the top spot to their rivals and have a stormy 2025.
