VALVERDE TURNS NEYMAR’S LOSS INTO BARCA’S COLLECTIVE GAIN

Valverde turns Neymar’s loss into team’s collective gain

BaRCelona: There is a clear winner of the Spanish League as it approaches the midway point.

Ernesto Valverde (pic).

Four months into his first season as Barcelona’s coach, Valverde has helped the team to recover from the shock exit of Brazil star Neymar and take a commanding lead of La Liga.

The 53-year-old Valverde was already considered one of Spain’s top coaches for his stints at Athletic Bilbao, Valencia, Espanyol and Greek club Olympiakos before he replaced Luis Enrique. But he started the season under the most pessimistic conditions of any of Barcelona’s coaches since Pep Guardiola’s debut in 2008.

Real Madrid had just won the Champions League and La Liga titles before Barcelona were left reeling by Neymar’s move to Paris St Germain.

That was followed by two demoralising losses to Real in the curtain-raising Spanish Super Cup. And with the season just under way, Ousmane Dembele – the forward signed by Barcelona to replace Neymar – tore a tendon in his right leg.

But while everyone else feared a disaster, Valverde saw an opportunity.

The departure of Neymar broke up Barcelona’s fearsome attack with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. But despite their goals, their erratic contributions in defence had left Barcelona exposed at the back. Valverde turned Neymar’s loss into a collective gain.

He refocused the team on first being defensively sound – by either playing another midfielder, or a forward who applied more pressure when the team lost the ball.

The success of former Barcelona forward Valverde is undeniable: 25 matches across all competitions without a loss since that pair of defeats to Real. It also tops the Spanish League for fewest goals conceded (7) and goals scored (45).

And Valverde got the biggest prize of all last Saturday when he out-coached Zinedine Zidane in a 3-0 victory at Real’s Bernabeu.

Barcelona have sprinted to a commanding lead of the league title race after 17 of 38 rounds.

Second-place Atletico Madrid trail by nine points, Valencia by 11, and Real by 14, although they have a game in hand.

The calendar also favours the Catalan club, who will host their top rivals in the second half of the season. Barcelona already drew 1-1 at both Atletico and Valencia before humbling Real in front of their fans.

Atletico are expecting a boost from the return of Diego Costa and the arrival of Victor Machin in January when the club’s FIFA-imposed ban on registering new players ends.

Atletico’s elimination from the Champions League may also let them focus on catching Barcelona, although they will enter the Europa League and are also contending in the Spanish King’s Cup.

Once again, Messi is driving Barcelona towards the title.

Real’s Cristiano Ronaldo may have matched him with his fifth Ballon d’Or award, but Messi is outscoring him 15-4 in the league. The Argentine has continued to flourish under Valverde as a free-ranging forward, floating across the front of the attack and back into midfield as he probes for weaknesses in the defence.

Andres Iniesta, who was often rested by Luis Enrique in league matches, is featuring more under Valverde and thriving with the consistent playing time, while newcomer Paulinho has impressed by bulking up Barcelona’s midfield.

Success in the Champions League, Spanish League, UEFA Super Sup, Spanish Super Cup and Club World Cup – titles all conquered in a calendar year – should isolate any coach from criticism.

Not at Real. And certainly not after a big loss to Barcelona that has all but ended their hopes of retaining the title.

Zidane is facing his first crisis as Real’s coach for his team’s poor play in the league that hit a low point against Barcelona.

He has been widely questioned for both his insistence on starting Karim Benzema despite his lack of goals and for not starting playmaker Francisco “Isco” Alarcon against Barcelona. —