Messi time for Suarez & Co
LUIS SUAREZ never had a problem scoring in England during his time at Liverpool. Tonight he will be back on English soil hoping to break a Champions League scoring drought that goes back three years.
The Barcelona forward has not scored away from home in the competition since September 2015 when he netted against Roma. Just a few months before he had scored as Barcelona beat Juventus in the Champions League final in Berlin.
Barcelona have not won the competition and Suarez hasnot scored on his Champions League travels since then.
Ahead of Barcelona’s Group B meeting with Tottenham at Wembley tonight Suarez said: “(Lionel) Messi is the best in the world but we cannot depend on him coming on to provide a solution.”
He was speaking after Messi had been the super-sub in Barcelona’s draw with Athletic Bilbao.
Suarez knows if the team are to reach the final next June at Atletico Madrid’s stadium in the Spanish capital others have to step up.
Messi came o ff the bench to help Barcelona avoid defeat on Saturday. They fell behind to Athletic Bilbao before the substitute set up Munir El-Haddadi to get the equaliser.
Barcelona will need their attacking firepower against Tottenham at Wembley because clean sheets cannot be guaranteed at the moment.
In La Liga this season Ernesto Valverde’s team has already conceded eight goals.
The team reached the halfway point o f the last campaign having only let in nine. The coach will also have to do without right-back Sergi Roberto who is injured and the suspended Samuel Umtiti.
The defensive frailties point towards Valverde opting for the extra muscle of Arturo Vidal in midfield and that will mean Philippe Coutinho will start up front alongside Messi and Suarez.
Despite being top o f the league pressure is growing around Valverde. His current contract only runs until the end o f this season and the board are in no rush to bring forward negotiations to extend the deal.
He, more than anyone, needs Suarez to find his scoring boots in London.
Things were very different the last time Suarez scored away in the Champions League.
Neymar wasstill at Barcelona and behind the formidable front three o f the Brazilian, the Argentinian and the Uruguayan, Andres Iniesta was pulling the midfield strings.
Before the goal he scored in the final against Juventus, Suarez struck important goals en route to Berlin. He netted twice in Paris asBarcelona saw off Paris Saint Germain and twice at the Etihad against Manchester City.
Not only have Barcelona not returned to the pinnacle of Europeanfootball since then but Real Madrid have dominated.
Barcelona’s great rivals have lifted the last three