Opinion | Why is Camp Nou quiet? Rain, Roma and rot as Barcelona revel in record run
Defeat by the Italians in the Champions League dulled the atmosphere against Valancia but wet weather also kept away 30,000 fans
Some of the spectators walking out of Camp Nou last Saturday afternoon had mixed feeling.
“Why was the atmosphere so flat like a preseason friendly?” asked Huw, a vicar who was visiting Barcelona from Manchester and, like many of the millions of tourists who flock to the city, wanted to take in a game.
Why, indeed? Barça had just broken the Spanish record for unbeaten league matches by beating a talented young Valencia team 2-1. For 39 league games, the Catalans have not lost for over a year since 8 April 2017 and are on course for a domestic league and cup double. Lionel Messi has been sensational (though he was quiet in both Roma Champions League ties and how Barça noticed that) and there have been other significant pluses. Goalkeeper Andre Ter Stegen has come into his own as one of the best around, ditto left back Jordi Alba. Philippe Coutinho has settled quickly.
Barça are still brilliant and a club who won only two league titles in 31 years between 1960-1991 should be delighted that they’re so far ahead at the top of a tough league.
Two things killed the atmosphere on Saturday. The 3-0 midweek defeat by Roma stunned Barça, but it was the fourth successive year in which they’d exited at the last-eight stage and they’ve lost four and drawn one of their past five European quarter-final away ties, scoring one and conceding 13.