Barca disappointed when they could not beat Malaga

Barca had to suffer a goalless draw against Malaga in round 12 of La Liga, while Messi and Suarez were both unable to play.

Neymar could not help the attack play well. Photo: Reuters

Hosting Malaga at the Nou Camp on the evening of November 19, Barca disappointed when they could not put the ball into the net of goalkeeper Kameni. The absence of both Messi and Suarez made the attack lack creativity. Neymar alone was not enough to support Arda Turan and Paco Alcacer, while Malaga played a disciplined defense. The visitors even accepted losing two players to protect the 0-0 draw.

The draw with Malaga left Barca out of the race with leaders Real Madrid. Barca now have 26 points from 12 games, while their bitter rivals have 30 points thanks to their win in the Madrid derby.

With Suarez suspended and Messi rested after the international break, Barca started with an attack consisting of Neymar, Alcacer and the midfielder who was promoted to replace Turan. With this formula, the home team only gained superior ball possession but could not overcome Malaga's dense defense. Coach Juande Ramos let Malaga play with three center-backs and two full-backs, a tactic that was enough to help the defense minimize the risk in front of goalkeeper Kameni's goal.

In addition to losing two players leading the race for the Golden Boot, Barca can also blame "bad luck" in finishing. The score could have been 1-0 in favor of the home team if the referee had not called for offside when Alcacer put the ball into the Malaga net in the fourth minute. Not long after that, Neymar volleyed into the outside of the net, while Pique's header failed to beat goalkeeper Kameni.

Pique had many chances to shoot but was unsuccessful.

Playing defensive counter-attacks, Malaga even almost made a difference when two chances fell to Sandro Ramirez. The striker, who is on loan from... Barca, took a low shot that went straight to goalkeeper Ter Stegen before Pique cleared the ball right at his feet.

After the break, the match continued with Malaga lurking. Barca controlled the ball up to 80% but showed no power in front of goalkeeper Kameni's goal. Malaga even missed the chance to open the scoring when Juankar dribbled past Ter Stegen and shot into the outside of the net.

The away team started to lose a man from the 69th minute. At this time, Diego Llorente received a direct red card after a dangerous tackle on Neymar.

Malaga's defense proved effective with large numbers and fierce play.

Despite the advantage, Barca continued to disappoint in their finishing. Pique missed the best chance of the game when he headed over the bar from Mascherano's cross. Ivan Rakitic had a long-range shot that went wide, while Andre Gomes' shot went over the crossbar. Pique also had a penalty denied after being pulled down by Mikel Villanueva in the box.

In the extra minutes, Malaga, in an effort to protect the draw, received another straight red card for Juankar. This was another advantage for Barca, but the remaining time was not enough to bring a goal.

According to VNE