Marc-André ter Stegen Spared Blushes as Barcelona Earn a Fierce 2-2 Draw Away to Mallorca
The always reliable Barcelona wall Marc-André Ter Stegen endured a rough night at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix as he played arguably his worst 90 minutes in a Barca shirt since the infamous 8-2 loss to Bayern three years ago. While most of the goals against Bayern were not his fault, this match against Mallorca was, as he lacked composure and confidence in a performance subpar to his best. Fortunately for Marc-André Ter Stegen, Barca has an in-form Raphinha to dig him out of trouble as the Brazilian scored and assisted to ensure Barca stays ahead at the table for now.
Marc-André Ter Stegen at Fault for Both Goals
Barca came in as heavy favourites against Mallorca as they won the last 11 meetings between the two teams, and the Catalans are in a good string of form after their heroic 9-minute comeback win against Celta Vigo. However, things started on the wrong foot, as Marc-André Ter Stegen lost possession of the ball in his own box and allowed Vedat Muriqi to capitalise on his mistake and give the host a 1-0 lead in just 8 minutes.
The Catalan giants came roaring back in search of an equaliser when their best player today, Raphinha, fired a stunning strike into the goal past the keeper to level the proceedings. Their joy was short-lived when Marc-André Ter Stegen made a mess of himself as he hesitated to come out or stay in his box as Abdon Prats raced in on goal.
Eventually, the German keeper came out and allowed an easy low shot to roll past him. After a harsh word from Xavi in the dressing room, Marc-André Ter Stegen made a crucial stop in the final minutes after Fermin Lopez stepped up to score his first senior goal for Barca and tie the match. The fixture eventually ended in a draw, and Barca will have only one man to blame for not extending their lead at the top of the table.
Marc-André ter Stegen and Barcelona’s Defense Is Becoming a Sign of Concern
Even with the signing of João Cancelo and the return of star defender Ronald Araújo, Barcelona’s Defense has looked shaky this season, and it is a far cry from the team focused on a solid, cohesive unit in their title-winning campaign last season.
To put into perspective, Marc-André ter Stegen and co only let past 20 goals last season in a record-breaking defensive performance in La Liga. Jumping back to the present, they had already shifted in 8 goals this season, 40% of the goals they conceded last season. Thus, who is to blame?
While Marc-André ter Stegen did not perform the best today, it is hard to point fingers at him as he has saved Barca on multiple occasions this season. Furthermore, it takes time to build a well-oiled machine, especially considering Barca has signed multiple star-honed names. Moreover, other teams have significantly improved, as who would have thought Girona to be second in the league table currently?
A True Three-Horse Race Up for Grabs?
3 years may not seem long, but it is for hungry neutral fans, as the previous two seasons of La Liga had an obvious favourite in Barcelona and Real Madrid. However, with Atlético de Madrid regaining their mojo after handing Real their first loss this season, we are poised for a three-horse race again.
Premier League supporters may not want to hear it, but Manchester City has made the league a 1 team league and occasionally 2 team league if Liverpool or Arsenal get it together. While La Liga may lack intensity and frequent upsets, the bad blood shared between the top three teams is hard to replicate in any other league. Thus, who are you supporting? Let us know in the comments below.
Which Is the Best Platform to Watch la Liga？
With a promising La Liga season underway, we know you would like the best platform to watch all the action. Thus, give AsiaSport a go, as it provides real-time stats updates, pre-match analysis, the latest news and high-definition highlights just in case you miss the action of your favourite teams live. Here is a clip from the site of the match mentioned in our article today.
