Barcelona Heavy Rotation Tested as La Liga Comeback May Prove Costly Ahead of Second Leg in Milan
For Hansi Flick, the plan seemed clear. With Inter Milan looming large in the second leg of a mouth-watering Champions League semi-final, the Barcelona boss sought a chance to rest weary legs, manage minutes, and rotate his squad without compromising the result. But as is often the case in Spanish football, the reality didn’t quite cooperate with the theory — and now, Advantage Inter may be more than just a headline cliché.
Barcelona’s La Liga trip to face relegation-threatened Real Valladolid was meant to be a low-risk assignment. Flick made nine changes to the side that started midweek at the San Siro, benching key figures like Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, and instead handing rare starts to the likes of Ansu Fati, Pau Victor, and Oriol Romeu. The message was clear: this was about resting legs and building confidence in the depth.
But as the German coach quickly found out, even a carefully constructed plan can unravel fast in a league where no game is truly routine.
Early Setback Forces Flick’s Hand
Barcelona’s experimental lineup hadn’t even found its rhythm before Ivan Sanchez fired Valladolid ahead with a goal that stunned the visitors and the coaching staff alike. Flick’s hope of easing through 90 minutes while giving key players a breather was shattered.
What followed was a necessary but unwanted unraveling of the original script. First, Lamine Yamal was forced into the game earlier than expected due to an injury to Dani Rodriguez, further limiting Flick’s ability to manage the teenager’s minutes. Then, just after half-time, Flick turned to his Brazilian star Raphinha, calling him off the bench in a bid to inject some firepower and salvage the game.
It worked — at least in terms of the result. Raphinha levelled the score with a fine finish in the 54th minute, and just six minutes later, Fermin Lopez popped up with what proved to be the winning goal. A comeback complete. Three points secured. But at what cost?
“It Wasn’t Easy” – Flick Defends His Team and Rotation
After the match, Flick didn’t point fingers or express regret — at least not outwardly. He admitted the match was tougher than anticipated but stood by his players and his choices.
“I planned for Pedri and De Jong to play just 45 minutes each,” Flick told reporters. “But I would have also liked Raphinha and Lamine to play fewer minutes. I’m not disappointed in anyone. We made nine changes, they’re young, I believe in them.”
He acknowledged the challenges, citing “some mistakes” and “quick transitions” from Valladolid that exposed Barca’s back line, but he also praised the efforts of Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Marc-André ter Stegen, who held the line under pressure.
Still, beneath Flick’s composed words lay the reality of a coach whose best-laid plans had been unexpectedly disrupted — and who now faces a significant physical toll ahead of one of the club’s most important matches in recent memory.
Fatigue Looms Large Before Milan Showdown
The trip to Milan’s San Siro for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final was always going to be difficult. Inter hold the narrowest of leads after the first leg — a match that saw Barcelona struggle to impose their rhythm and get behind Simone Inzaghi’s well-drilled side.
Now, with several players having logged unexpected minutes against Valladolid, Flick may be left to hope that his stars recover in time to be at their sharpest on May 6.
Fatigue isn’t just a buzzword at this stage of the season — it’s a deciding factor. With the physical demands of chasing domestic and continental honours mounting, even an extra 30 minutes in the legs of Raphinha or Yamal could make the difference between precision and sloppiness, between sharpness and sluggishness, between advancing to the final and crashing out.
A Bigger Picture for Barcelona’s Young Core
While the performance wasn’t perfect, the fixture did offer glimpses of the future. Players like Pau Victor and Fermin Lopez took their opportunities with enthusiasm, while Ansu Fati — still battling for consistent form — at least showed glimpses of intent and dynamism.
Flick has spoken often about trusting his young players, and that belief was evident in the lineup. But belief only goes so far when the stakes are high and the margins are thin. These experiences, valuable as they are, must also yield results — especially for a club still trying to navigate the financial pressures of a new era and the legacy of its golden generation.
All Eyes on Milan
Barcelona will fly to Italy knowing they have it all to do. Inter Milan are a formidable outfit at home, with the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Nicolò Barella, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu in sparkling form. For Flick and his staff, the days leading up to the match will now be consumed with managing recovery, evaluating fitness, and making the right tactical tweaks to overcome the deficit.
The hope will be that this stumble in La Liga — while inconvenient — doesn’t derail the Champions League dream entirely.
Conclusion: A Win, But Not Without Consequence
Yes, Barcelona won. Yes, they came from behind to do so. But it’s impossible to shake the feeling that this was a pyrrhic victory — a result that may have cost more than it gained.
Advantage Inter, at least in terms of energy and momentum, feels like a fair assessment now. Flick will need to rally his troops and hope that the grit shown in Valladolid can be channelled into one final push in Milan.
Because the Champions League final is still within reach — but only if Barcelona arrive with clear minds, fresh legs, and the kind of discipline that was missing for large parts of their La Liga escape.
