A Messy start which ended with Messi Magic
First the good news - Messi was part of the team from the start. This was only his 2nd start of the season and the first time that he played all 90 minutes for Barcelona.
As for the bad news — the entire first half was completely horrendous from FC Barcelona. Barcelona had a horrible start conceding a goal in the 2nd minute of play when Lautaro Martinez managed to get past the out of position Barca defenders especially Lenglet and finish off successfully to give Inter a 1–0 lead.
It was a holy mess as Barca struggled to control the midfield and attacks. The defense was all over place with Pique struggling and the frustrated Lenglet losing his cool with very less help from the two flanks.
Messi was getting into the game slowly but there was not much support for him from any side.While the badly positioned De Jong and Arthur were trying without much success, Roberto was woefully slow, Semedo was neither here nor there and Busquets was totally off giving away the ball in dangerous areas.
Griezmann and Luis Suarez failed to connect to the passes given by Messi. Suarez in particular wasted some great crosses as his first touch was awful. The worst part was that at times the two seem to get in each others way.
Despite majority of the possession, there was not much that was happening when it came to attacks for Barca. Meanwhile Inter looked comfortable in both offense and defense. The Italians, after the early lead, were happy to sit back but looked extremely dangerous during the occasional counters.
Inter could have had at least a couple of more goals but Barca had a talisman - Ter Stegen - who came up with some amazing saves to keep his team’s chances alive after one of the most awful 1st half performances by Barca in recent times.
Before the start of the 2nd half, Messi was seen addressing his team in all seriousness. Unlike his usual tactics, Valverde came up with some quick and early changes in the 2nd half. Arturo Vidal was brought in for Busquets. De Jong and Arthur took immediate control of the midfield with Vidal linking up with the forwards effectively.
Messi was getting into his gear. He was taking on the Inter defenders and trying to set it up for the two forwards. During one such move Messi managed to find Vidal in the box who crossed it to Luis Suarez on the right and this time Suarez did not fail. His fantastic volley crashed into the net getting Barca back on equal terms. (Messi’s reaction to that finish says it all.)
Looking for a winner, Barca attacked with more energy and Inter were pinned to their own half. Valverde brought in Dembele for the misfiring Griezmann who missed a good chance to score. There was more pressing from Barca as the tired Inter players couldn't keep up. Dembele threatened from the right while Messi was whipping up cross after cross from the left.
Then came a super move from the half line by Messi who dribbled past a number of Inter defenders and crossed it to Suarez. Finally Suarez’s first touch worked as he got the ball past Godin and fired the shot in to make it 2–1. Barca could have increased their lead further, but Inter hung on desperately.
Overall - not a great game for FC Barcelona. Inter were the better team in the first half. But their tactics to sit back and defend backfired as Valverde brought in the necessary changes. In the end a lucky Barcelona would be very happy with the result.
(A word about the Referee - The guy was good. But he was very generous in giving yellow cards to the rough Barca players and pretty stingy in doing the same when dealing with the Inter team who were mercilessly hacking away at the opposition. Had a feeling that someone from FC Barcelona would be sent off for sure. Thankfully it did not come to that.)
Analysis:
Ter Stegen had been the only saving grace of Barcelona’s defensive unit. He had kept the team alive in most games this season with his incredible and acrobatic saves.
While Pique had been awful pocketing yellow cards at will, the usually calm Lenglet had been wilting under tremendous pressure in recent games, which is a pity.
Semedo doesn't offer much in offense and should be concentrating more on defending in which he was much better. Instead he was made to run forward regularly, only to give the ball back to the midfielders. Why the hell is this confusion happening with this guy?
Junior Firpo, Umtiti and Todibo need to used regularly so that they can come in as and when required. Its okay even if they fail, because the current ones are not doing any better.
Except Valverde, almost everyone know that De Jong and Busquets were not be played together. Yet he takes immense pleasure in repeating the same mistake over and over again.
To make matters even worse, Busquets was played in his preferred position, while De Jong was chosen to play along in an inexplicable role? It unsettled the midfield completely.
Busquets poses a huge problem for Barca. Should he be in the starting line-up at all? If yes, then for how long would someone take the risk of playing him. He is not indispensable anymore and Valverde needs to realize that. Playing Sergio means unnecessary pressure on the defense.
Luis Suarez had been not at his best for the past 3 years. Yet he would step up when he was needed. He is aging and would not be around for long. But one needs to use him till he is around because he is one of a kind and he would always remain one of the best finishers of his generation. You can never write off El Pistolero. His brace would be two of the best finishes of this UCL season.
Another person who was supposed to be suffering from his bad positioning was Griezmann. He is already written off by many, which is sad. Hope he starts to click.
Sergi Roberto had been far from his usual, hard working self, this season Yet he is continuing to play in every game. Alternatives like Perez and Alena need more play time.
Dembele coming back from injury, ran like hell creating panic in the Inter defense. But his finishing was below par as usual. Hoping against hope that he finally would come good with his passes and finishing.
Similarly Vidal coming in brought a sea change in the way the team played. He linked up so well with Messi and Suarez, creating some wonderful moves which resulted in the goals. He should be a regular substitute because he is aging and needs to be used diligently.
Messi! Oh How much I missed the little magician! He grew as the game progressed and was at his best towards the end. When his team settled in the 2nd half, he was able to concentrate more on the attacks. He played a key role in both the goals and should have scored one himself. I don’t think he is fully fit, but that dribble from the half line to the box was just sublime. His 10 successful take-ons during the match, are the most in the Champions League this season. There may be many brilliant competitors, but this little legend is out of this world.
The following are his incredible stats from the match:
Assists: 1
Touches: 96
Dribbles: 10/11
Accurate passes: 55/64 (86%)
Key passes: 6
Big chances created: 2
Ground duels: 13/17
Long balls: 2/3
Messi fully deserves every accolade that had been bestowed upon him. I dare anyone to say otherwise. If you think Lionel Messi is not the best then the reason could be - either he is way ahead of your favorite player or he played against your favorite club.
Valverde had selected a team that had disaster written all over it. He was saved by the timely 2nd half changes and the brilliance of two of his legendary veterans. His tactics are laying to waste the capabilities of players like De Jong, Lenglet and Arthur. Under him, the Barcelona team would not progress too far in UCL this season.
For a change, instead of playing the usual players in their preferred positions, why not try the opposite? Let the new players play in their preferred positions and see how they perform. Messi is a player who can drift into any position and adapt better than anyone else in the team. Then why not play Griezmann in his preferred position for a couple of matches so that the player can be gauged correctly. Same when selecting both De Jong and Busquets to play together.
Valverde looks more and more out of sorts as the season progresses. He is being saved by his supremely talented individual players.
Realistically, Barca fans need to brace themselves to suffer more in frustration along with the team, as Valverde continues to fumble routinely, while the stupid Board watches on.
This season the script for FC Barcelona looks more like - No La Liga, No UCL and No Copa del Rey, Unless…
Image Credits - Google Images
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