Defending champions Barcelona are showing a worrying brittleness in their defense during the opening halves of their matches this season. This was recently highlighted in their semifinal first leg against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey, where inconsistencies and weaknesses were apparent. According to Spanish newspaper 'Mundo Deportivo', Barcelona has conceded 31 goals in the first 45 minutes across all competitions, making it the team with the worst defensive record in Europe during this period.

The concern for Barcelona is acute, as they have allowed more goals in the first halves than even the bottom-ranked team in the English Premier League, Wolverhampton. The 'Mundo Deportivo' article highlighted that these statistics are alarming and show significant weaknesses in Barcelona's defense, which raises concerns over their competitiveness in high-stakes matches. These defensive lapses could derail their aspirations for success in domestic and European competitions.

With 14 of those first-half goals conceded occurring between the 31st and 45th minutes, including recent goals from Atletico Madrid’s Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez, the timing of these lapses is particularly troubling. Barcelona needs to address this defensive frailty urgently if they hope to maintain their status as title contenders and improve their performance as they head further into crucial stages of the season.