Barcelona's Midfield Mob Steal The Show As Forwards Go AWOL Again
Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and Fermín all scored as Barça's second string ran the show against Levante — and Pedri returned to a hero's welcome.
Barcelona’s forwards are having a proper identity crisis right now — but luckily for Hansi Flick, the midfielders couldn’t care less about who’s supposed to be doing the scoring.
Three Goals, Zero Strikers — Again
This was the third consecutive match in which not a single Barça forward found the net. Against Atlético in the Copa del Rey they drew a blank up top, at Girona it was Cubarsí of all people grabbing the goal, and now against Levante at the Spotify Camp Nou, it was the engine room doing all the damage. You couldn’t make it up.
The three goals on the night came from:
- Marc Bernal — opened the scoring after just four minutes, latching onto a low cross from Eric García. He’d already bagged one against Mallorca recently, and this lad is clearly starting to feel himself. He played 65 minutes — his longest outing in La Liga this season.
- Frenkie de Jong — got his first goal of the entire campaign, and his first in over a year. The last time he’d scored was back on 26 January 2025 against Valencia. Long time coming, mate.
- Fermín López — rounded things off with a proper left-footed belter. Lovely stuff.
Koeman In The Stands Watching De Jong
There was a nice bit of added drama around Frenkie’s goal — Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman was up in the stands watching in person. Whether that gave De Jong a bit of extra motivation is anyone’s guess, but the timing was pretty tasty. Nothing like scoring in front of your international manager to remind him you exist.
Pedri’s Back — And The Camp Nou Went Proper Mental
The feel-good moment of the evening had nothing to do with the goals. Pedri returned to the pitch after picking up a hamstring injury — specifically his right bicep femoris — during the Champions League clash against Slavia Prague on 21 February. The estimated recovery time was about a month, which is almost exactly how long he’s been out.
When he stepped back onto the grass, the Camp Nou gave him an enormous reception. The Canary Islander is absolutely adored by that crowd, and rightly so. His return couldn’t come at a better time with the business end of the season approaching.
One To Watch — Gerard Martín Suspended
A small cloud on an otherwise sunny afternoon: left-back Gerard Martín picked up a yellow card — his fifth of the season — meaning he’ll be suspended for the upcoming match against Villarreal. Worth keeping an eye on how Flick shuffles the pack at the back for that one.
All in all, a comfortable evening’s work at the Camp Nou, even if the strikers are still leaving it to everyone else to do the dirty work.