3 Barcelona stars under fire after recent dip in form

Barcelona have performed well for the vast majority of the season, but the comeback after their victories over Real Madrid and Bayern Munich was a harsh return to reality. Two of their most touted stars are now back in control after three Liga matches without a win.

Despite 22 goals in 20 games for Robert Lewandowski, the Polish striker sees his critics from last season returning again. Manager Hansi Flick spoke of 'disconnects' during his post-match press conference following the defeat in Las Palmas and also highlighted on Friday the fact that the attackers had to press as hard as the defenders to make things work. Lewandowski is among those accused of failing to do so, even after a game of loose play with the ball.

Meanwhile, Jules Kounde was seen as one of the best right-backs in the world a month ago, especially after his trio of assists against Crvena Zvezda. However, he was substituted for Hector Fort after 56 minutes against Las Palmas and was responsible for one of the goals against Celta Vigo due to a mental error. Both Marca and Relevo say that the pair are under pressure, while Frenkie de Jong is also having a hard time. The Dutch midfielder has been disappointing in his return from injury, with the notable exception of his 45 minutes during El Clasico. On Saturday, Pablo Torre and Gavi got the nod, while Marc Casado was suspended and Dani Olmo rested.

Some of Barcelona's problems this season have been due to a lack of depth. The Blaugrana only have Eric Garcia as a senior rotation option for their centre-backs, while Hector Fort and Gerard Martin are inexperienced alternatives on the wings. Up front, Ferran Torres is closest to a nine, also injured for a few months, and no replacement has been found due to the absence of Lamine Yamal.