Barcola Misses Sitter and Exits with Cramps on Champions League Debut with Liverpool

Bradley Barcola failed to make the desired impression on his Champions League debut in a Liverpool shirt. Wednesday evening at Anfield, the 24-year-old French winger missed a clear opportunity, came off with cramps around the hour mark, while the Reds still managed to secure a 2-1 victory against Atlético Madrid.

The moment that crystallized the criticism came in the 49th minute. Released behind Madrid’s defense, Barcola found himself one-on-one with Jan Oblak but blazed his shot over the bar. An opportunity that encapsulates both the former PSG player’s explosive qualities and his shortcomings in the final touch — two aspects that observers had already identified during his time at PSG.

On X, reactions came quickly. “€140 million, Barcola misses an open goal. That’s why PSG sold him,” “Well Parisians we had a good laugh but give back the €140 million and take your player back, thanks”: the transfer fee, one of the highest of the summer, served as ammunition for many commentators.

Some Liverpool supporters, however, tempered these hasty judgments. “We all knew what we were getting with Barcola. He will be frustrating at times in front of goal, but he will cause big problems with his pace and positioning. The combination play with Wirtz for the counter-attack is something I haven’t seen since Mané and Salah,” wrote one.

On the physical front, the news is reassuring. Manager Andoni Iraola confirmed it was merely cramps. “It was just cramps, especially for Bradley. We’re pushing him a bit hastily, but we decided today to ask him to give his all, and we’ll see how he recovers, because we play again in three days,” he said, also mentioning Milos Kerkez’s exit under similar circumstances.

Barcola therefore has little time to digest this evening and find his feet in a new league, facing expectations proportional to his price tag.