Barcelona’s away form is abysmal

Barcelona headed to Los Carmenes without an away win this season and departed with that statistic still firmly in place after an atrocious showing.

Yet the team’s poor form on their travels goes even further back, as they have not won any of their last eight matches away from the Camp Nou.

They have lost five of those eight (to Celta, Liverpool, Athletic, Granada and Valencia in the Copa del Rey final) and drawn the other three (against Eibar, Osasuna and Dortmund).

All of which makes for another depressing statistic:

Barcelona’s last win on their travels came all the way back in April against Alaves when goals from Carles Alena and Luis Suarez gave the Catalan giants victory.

Suarez had a great record at Granada until Saturday’s match but was poor again and described the defeat as “worrying.” Ernesto Valverde went a bit further and said his team had been “especially bad” away from home. He’s not wrong.

Junior Firpo Blows Chance To Impress

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Junior Firpo made his first La Liga start for Barcelona against Granada, due to injury to Jordi Alba, but had a night to forget for the champions.

The left-back’s error handed Granada the opening goal with just a minute on the clock and left Barcelona without a clean sheet yet again.

It was a disastrous start to Firpo’s full debut which only lasted 45 minutes. He was hooked at half-time along with Carles Perez as Valverde sent on Lionel Messi and Ansu Fati.

Firpo will be hoping for another chance against Villarreal on Tuesday but will he get one? After all Carles Alena has not made the squad since being subbed at half-time against Athletic on the opening day.

Valverde’s lack of options at left-back may earn Junior a reprieve, but Valverde could also decide to switch Nelson Semedo to the left.

Pressure back on Ernesto Valverde

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Ernesto Valverde somehow managed to avoid the sack last season despite another dreadful Champions League exit at Liverpool and defeat in the Copa del Rey final to Valencia.

However, the pressure is well and truly back on the Barcelona boss after defeat to Granada continued the club’s poor start to the season.

Two defeats in five, 12 goals conceded (more than any other team in La Liga) and some truly terrible performances away from home means the knives are out for Valverde once again.

Barcelona invested heavily in the summer bringing in Frenkie de Jong, Antoine Griezmann, Neto and Junior Firpo but the new-boys have not yet had the impact that many were expecting.

Meanwhile, the defence is leaking goals at an alarming rate, the squad continues to look unbalanced and the team’s dismal showings make you have to wonder how much longer Valverde can survive at the Camp Nou.