Barca still Europe’s team to beat
The Catalan club is peaking with uncanny timing
NEWDELHI: Lionel Messi’s chipped goal past Real Betis keeper Pau Lopez to seal a 4-1 win for Barcelona in their league clash on Sunday was a terrifying warning for any team that will face the Catalan club in the coming months: no defence can contain the Argentine forward. Perfectly relaxed and exquisitely calibrated, that goal could only come from a man who is firmly at the pinnacle of his game, it compelled even Betis fans to give him a standing ovation, and it lent further weight to the Catalan club’s quest for a treble this season.
Barcelona have already done it twice, winning all three major titles in the same season in 2009 and 2015.
Ten points ahead of nearest rivals Atletico Madrid with 10 games left in the season, Barca’s title defence is now pretty much in hand, which means they can afford to spread their resources in other directions. Ernesto Valverde’s side has already booked a berth in the Copa del Rey final, where Valencia lie waiting. The last time Barcelona didn’t win the cup was back in 2014. The Champions League, where Barcelona have stuttered in the last three seasons, remains the trickiest proposition: but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United, their opponents here, are a team only recently emerging from a disastrous slump, and their 2-0 loss to Everton on Sunday was a sign of that struggle.
ADAPTABILITY
On Sunday night against Betis, Barcelona answered a few questions about their adaptability towards different situations. Over the last two seasons, Betis have surprised quite a few teams with their ability to control possession and set the tempo in games. Barcelona have themselves been Betis’ victims before, suffering a 4-3 loss at Camp Nou in their previous league encounter in November.
On Sunday, Betis started the game with a firm grip in midfield. Barcelona did not scramble for possession; instead, they played with incisive attacking intent when they did get the ball, creating plenty of chances throughout the game. If not for some near misses, they could have easily scored more.
Just a couple of weeks back, Valverde’s team had come out on top in a three-game battle against bitter rivals Real Madrid in the cup and the league. Despite Real managing to create the lion’s share of chances over the three games, Barcelona conceded just once while scoring five times. It was perhaps testament to the addition Valverde has provided to Barcelona’s game - the team’s ability to soak up pressure and win games without controlling possession.
Barcelona under Pep Guardiola, and later Luis Enrique, offered little time on the ball to the opposition. Both coaches had the luxury of a midfield triumvirate of Xavi, Sergio Busquets, and Andres Iniesta, arguably the greatest central midfield of the modern era; Valverde only has one of those three – a 30-year-old Busquets. The Spanish tactician has taken a more pragmatic route as far as the team’s style of play is concerned.on the other hand, signing Clement Lenglet for 35 million euros in an inflated transfer market has looked a profitable deal, with the French centre back playing a major role in keeping the Barca defence together.
PROBLEMS REMAIN
Problems do persist though – an ageing Gerard Pique, the occasionally erratic Samuel Umtiti, a misfiring Philippe Coutinho, an off-colour Luis Suarez and a temperamental
Ousmane Dembele, among others. Barcelona’s dependence remains on a core group of players, unlike fellow European Cup contenders Manchester City.
Ivan Rakitic and Busquets, in particular, have been critical to the club’s campaign, featuring in almost all important games, and Valverde will hope to keep the duo well rested ahead of their Champions League matches.
Messi, of course, makes all the difference. The Argentine has already raked in 39 goals in 37
games this season while often dropping deeper than in previous seasons and orchestrating the attacks.
Crucially, the Catalans are peaking at the right time. After losing twice and drawing four times in their first 13 league games, Barca have won 13 and drawn just twice in the next 15. The last time they lost a game was in the first leg of their cup quarter-final against Sevilla. They turned around that 2-0 reverse in their home leg, crushing the Seville side 6-1 to advance.