Returning to the locker room two goals down, everyone at Barcelona was deeply frustrated.
The atmosphere in the locker room was gloomy. Clearly, Barcelona's players were struggling to come to terms with this dire situation.
Especially at Camp Nou!
What was more, many players had begun to entertain an ominous thought: Barcelona had suffered devastating comebacks in the Champions League for several consecutive seasons, leading fans to mockingly call them the "European Reversal Bro."
Being dramatically overturned by their opponents for so many consecutive seasons had dealt a heavy blow to the team's confidence, especially at crucial moments.
Without a doubt, Barcelona was now at a crucial moment.
As the opposing coach, Valverde honestly had not expected Yang Yang's guidance of Ajax, their preparations before the match, his lineup, or even his in-game decisions to be so outstanding. It had caught him completely off guard.
Take tonight, for example. Yang Yang had started in place of Jović, but he had not pushed himself all the way to the front. It was an extremely clever tactical move, and it showed just how excellent Yang Yang's tactical understanding was.
It could be said that Yang Yang's running and coverage in the first half—especially his pressing against Barcelona's defensive line and Busquets in the area thirty meters from goal—had completely paralyzed Busquets and directly caused huge problems for Barcelona's entire midfield buildup.
To deal with Ajax's High Press, Busquets and Rakitić had been forced to drop back repeatedly. This had lengthened the passing distance from midfield to the front line. Valverde had therefore tried to have Coutinho drop back, but the Brazilian was somewhat slow and could not bring out his advantages on the wing. Instead, Ajax had seized the opportunity and pressed forward to win the ball.
In the end, they had