Alonso didn’t start the game on Wednesday (January 4) night but was brought on for Hector Bellerin in the 83rd minute with his side leading 3-2. Within three minutes of his arrival, Intercity equalised on a swift break. The former Chelsea man gave the ball away in the build-up to the move and was also extremely slow to track back, with the Blaugrana light on defence.

While he didn’t do too much wrong in extra time, Barcelona fans expressed their displeasure with Alonso on social media after the game. One of them wrote on Twitter:

Another tweeted:

One fan simply wrote:

Here are some more reactions to Alonso’s performance against Intercity:

Alonso ended the game with 96% passing accuracy, two successful duels and a clearance. However, his error provided Barcelona with an unnecessary headache in a game they could and should have put to bed earlier.

Barcelona’s defending poses concerns for Xavi despite Intercity win

Barcelona were expected to breeze through their contest against Intercity, who are 16th in Group 2 of the Spanish third tier. However, their shambolic defending meant they could only edge out a 4-3 win after extra time.

Xavi Hernandez’s side went ahead after just four minutes at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez, courtesy of Ronaldo Araujo’s thumping header from Pablo Torre’s corner. They then spurned multiple opportunities to score but went into the break with the lead.

The Blaugrana were made to pay for those misses, as Oriol Soldevila Puig equalised for Intercity close to the hour mark. Some poor marking from a set-piece allowed the forward to volley in the leveller from close range.

Barcelona reclaimed the lead through Ousmane Dembele’s delicate chip, but Soldevila Puig scored again with a 74th-minute header after more poor marking. Xavi’s side went ahead a third time just three minutes later through Raphinha, who tapped home a venomous cross from Jordi Alba at the far post.

However, Marcos Alonso’s error gave Soldevila Puig the chance to complete his hat-trick, and he obliged with a neat finish past Inaki Pena on the counter. The goal took the game to extra time. Ansu Fati scored with a deflected finish from Raphinha’s cut-back in the 103rd minute to settle the contest, though.

While Barcelona eventually secured their place in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, their defending against Intercity will certainly give Xavi some headaches. The Blaugrana face Atletico Madrid away from home in their next La Liga game, and a similar defensive display is unlikely to go unpunished.

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