Let’s be rational now. First and foremost, the blame lies squarely on Carlo. The decision to put Lucas and Tchouaméni in the back was a clinical disaster. Lucas isn’t a right-back, and Tchou isn’t a center-back. This setup might work against weaker teams, but not when you’ve got Raphinha attacking down the wing and Lewandowski lurking up front. Carlo set them up to fail.

You can’t blame Rüdiger—he was left stranded with no proper support, and even then, he showed why he’s still one of the best defenders in the world. Midfield? Let’s be honest, it was nonexistent. Calling it a midfield at all feels generous. Real Madrid was horrifically dominated in possession, and the lack of control was embarrassing.

Jude was nonexistent, but it’s hard to fault him when he’s paired with Valverde, who had to run all over the place—left, right, back, forward—trying to attack and defend at the same time. How can anyone thrive in that chaos? Then there’s Camavinga, who had possibly his worst game ever, which is baffling considering how good he was in the previous match.

Vini? He’s spending more time arguing than playing. I don’t remember a player who racks up more yellows for dissent than actual fouls. It’s baffling and incredibly frustrating. Meanwhile, Mbappé showed exactly what a world-class player can do when the right plays are made for him. His movement, awareness, and execution were a level above, exposing just how ineffective Madrid’s overall approach was.

At the end of the day, this game is 100% on Carlo. The starting lineup was terrible. If at least he’d started with Asencio as CB and Valverde as RB, it could have been a completely different game. Maybe not a winning lineup, but surely one that was far more competitive.

Instead, Carlo handed this one to Barcelona on a silver platter. Terrible tactics, a clueless setup, and no in-game adjustments. He owns this loss.