Barcelona have moved on from Lionel Messi in the last couple of years. The Argentine left in 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain, and moved again this summer to MLS side Inter Miami, where he has had an immediate impact.
Barcelona did try to re-sign Messi before he joined Inter Miami, although negotiations broke down. However, it is not a massive disappointment, as the Catalans have been successful since he departed, especially last season when they won their first LaLiga title in four years.
However, one area that Barcelona have massively struggled in since Messi’s departure is free-kicks. As per MD, they have failed to score any since the summer of 2021, where the Argentine has remarkably scored nine, including one against Ecuador on Thursday night.
Barcelona have capable free-kick takers in their squad, notably Robert Lewandowski, Ilkay Gundogan and Raphinha. However, they have failed to score any despite numerous attempts. Head coach Xavi Hernandez will hope that the drought can be ended as soon as possible, although they are still having success without scoring free-kicks.
