AS: Although Szczesny always holds his own at critical moments, he has conceded goals in eight consecutive games

Football 4:19pm, 8 November 2025 143

Recently, "AS" talked about Szczesny's performance in Barcelona. They said that although the player performed wonderfully at critical moments, conceding goals in eight consecutive games will make him return to the bench after Juan Garcia returns.

Szczesny always held his ground at critical moments. Even when Furmant stole the ball and scored a goal that led 4-3, he remained calm. He barely looked at referee Anthony Taylor, instead placing the ball where he thought it was a foul and waiting patiently for VAR's decision. It was a 50-50 call, and the end result was on his side.

Szczesny was sent off for a reckless attack in the Spanish Super Cup final last season. The score was already 1-5, so this incident almost became an episode. A few weeks later, against Benfica, he conceded an avoidable penalty and a miscommunication with Balde led to Pavlidis scoring an empty goal. Although Barcelona fell behind twice, they eventually came back to win 4-5, and he made a key save at 4-4.

The same is true for last Wednesday's game. If the game ends 4-3, then not only the defensive system will be questioned, but Szczesny will also become the focus, because he has conceded goals in eight consecutive games, which is Barcelona's worst start record in 84 years.

While there are many questions about Szczesny's performance on the court, his connection with the fans is very special. The tears he shed after winning El Clasico in Montjuïc reflected his deep affection for the team. He is well-respected in the locker room and at the club, where he was chosen as backup goalkeeper to support the development of young goalkeeper Juan Garcia.

Szczesny agreed to the club's plan and renewed his contract for two years. As an experienced goalkeeper, he can solve problems in certain situations, but Barcelona still miss the performance of Juan Garcia at the beginning of the season. The latter made many key saves in difficult defensive situations to help the team win, such as the game against Newcastle.

Szczesny can no longer do this, but he can always save the day at critical moments. The game against Celta Vigo was likely to be his last appearance before he faces a long career on the bench.

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