Are Barca Missing a Plan B?

                                 Barcelona vs Hercules (0-2)  Goals: Valdez 26' 58'


Barcelona crashed to a defeat against Hercules in the weekend, only the 2nd game into the new season.


Pep, decided not to start Xavi and Dani Alves, and seems that he underestimated the recently promoted Hercules. Without Dani Alves racing up the right flank and linking with Messi, Barca's attack relied more on Adriano's wayward crosses and Messi dropping deep to find the ball.


Barca were punished by a sloppy goal from a set piece in the 26th minute, with Valdes failing to deal with the ball, Nelson Valdez scrambled the ball into the net.

Gerrad Pique, who showed an eye for goal for the first half, nearly put the Catalans level but his header, in the 34th minute, just went wide.

Xavi was brought on in the second half and nearly leveled the scores when he connected to a pedro cross but his effort went over the bar.

To the amazement of the Camp Nou, Hercules scored a 2nd goal in the 58th minute, Valdez grabbing his 2nd of the game, with a great strike on the edge of the area, that left Victor Valdes no chance.

With Barca pushing for a way back into the game, David Trezeguet could of made it 3 for Hercules but failed to convert into an open goal, with only a couple of minutes left on the clock.

Barcelona have once again come undone when facing a team who sit back and pack the midfield, and without the height that Zlatan Ibrahimović and Yaya Toure offered, it's hard to see where Barca's plan B might come from.