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The former Liverpool star has been a big disappointment since his arrival at Blaugrana a year ago and he once again failed to shine in the Girona victory.
A new win for Barcelona, another goal for Lionel Messi, top scorer in La Liga, another rebel performance by Philippe Coutinho.
There was little news since the champions beat Girona 2-0 at Montilivi, not Miami – where La Liga wanted the match to go – now their five-point lead over Atletico Madrid tops the standings.
Barcelona missed the talent and speed of Ousmane Dembele, but the Frenchman's pain is, in theory, an advantage for Coutinho, and the Brazilian started another match in front of him with Messi and Luis Suarez.
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Instead of seizing the opportunity with both hands, Coutinho missed two one-on-one opportunities and was sometimes more of a hindrance than a help.
With Dembele, Coutinho would be stuck on the bench. The playmaker is in a black hole of bad shape and low self-confidence, which is manifested by the low effort he made when he sent the goal to Messi after 15 minutes.
Barcelona was already leading after Nelson Semedo drilled a loose ball and Coutinho should have made things more comfortable for the champions.
Messi made one of his badists to send Coutinho to the goal and the Brazilian attempted a low effort that Bono kept out.
If he was in shape, Coutinho might have opted for something different, or even finished in the same way but with more conviction.
It was an unsuccessful attempt on the part of a player who seems to be falling under the burden of his 160 million euros transfer and his request to become the new Andres Iniesta of Barcelona.
It was what Barcelona had planned when he signed it a year ago, but after a decent start in Catalonia, he failed to take off.
Operating to the left of the attack, a few times, it seemed that Coutinho was hindering, the third wheel, while Messi and Jordi Alba were trying to unite on the left.
The connection between Messi and Alba has long been a source of joy for Barcelona and when they tried to combine in the second half, Coutinho had to make his way.
With Girona reduced to 10 men, the absence of Dembele was even more painful for Barcelona. The winger could have extended the defense of the hosts and take advantage of the extra space after Bernardo Espinosa's red card.
Coutinho was also not involved in Barcelona's second goal, Suarez playing through Alba, who tied for Messi.
The Argentine maestro beat Girona Bono goalkeeper with a delicious chip, celebrating his return to the starting line with a trademark shot.
Ernesto Valverde is carefully managing the attacker's minutes this season, keeping him cool for the end of the season.
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Messi was on the bench last weekend against Leganes and only appeared for the last half hour, while he was completely rested for the 2-0 quarter-final defeat of the Copa del Rey by Sevilla on Wednesday.
The contributions of No. 10 were crucial while Barcelona triumphed in the derby. Coutinho missed another great opportunity after being played by Suarez at the end of the match.
With the consistent performance of Messi, Barcelona can afford to have a few players fail, but Coutinho is becoming an increasingly important problem. A problem that can be ruled out, although not solved, when Dembele returns.
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