FC Barcelona were on fire on Saturday evening as they comprehensively beat rising stars, Las Palmas at home. It was Luis Suarez who began the proceedings for the Catalan giants when he swept home a lovely finish in the 19th minute. However, the visitors put on an inspired performance and kept their hosts for the evening at bay for the remainder of the first half.
That was not the case in the second half, however, as Barcelona upped the ante and scored via Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal to record a comfortable 5-0 victory over Quique Setien’s men.
Also read: La Liga 2016/17 - FC Barcelona 5-0 UD Las Palmas - Player Ratings
Here are the 5 talking points from the game that took place at Camp Nou:
#1 Barcelona nearing their best
Luis Enrique’s side might have come under immense scrutiny in the season so far, but today, they were yet again the dominant force that has captured the imagination of millions worldwide.
Lionel Messi, who continues to be in good form, backed up his midweek heroics with yet another impressive performance as he tormented the Las Palmas defence with his movement on and off the ball. He equalled Raul’s all-time record of scoring against 35-La Liga teams.
However, it will be the performances of the other attackers - Luis Suarez and Arda Turan - that must have pleased the Barca faithful the most. While the former Liverpool man scored a brilliant brace, Turan was pivotal to Barca’s attacking threat from the left flank and capped off a good evening with a goal.
The fluid football that has been the side’s trademark was on display yet again with Messi pulling the strings and the others appearing to be on the same page as the Argentine magician.
#2 Questions remain about Barcelona's defence
While their attackers were on fire, slotting five past the visitors Las Palmas, the same cannot be said about the side’s defence. As often has been the case, their defence looked fragile and the real problem behind that could be the lack of a midfield enforcer in the side.
Barca have struggled to replace the gigantic figure of Xavi ever since he left the Camp Nou and with tougher teams to play in the season than their visitors for this evening, it would be deemed prudent if Barcelona went into the market to bring in an enforcer who can do the dirty work in the middle of the park to bring balance to the unit.
#3 Ivan Rakitic’s future at the club looks bleak
The Croatian’s future with Barcelona has been the subject of several rumours over the last few days with Italian champions Juventus, and Manchester City keen on signing the midfield maestro from Barcelona.
Rakitic, who moved to Barcelona after stellar performances for Sevilla, has found limited game time in the current season with Enrique preferring recent recruits Andre Gomes and Dennis Suarez over the Croat.
In the current season, the player has started 16 of the Catalan side’s 29 games and after being one of the preferred midfielders for the club previously, he has now gone on to essentially become a squad player at Camp Nou. To add to the fire, Rakitic was yet again relegated to the bench for the game against Las Palmas and came on only in the 62nd minute to add the finishing touches to an imperious performance by the Catalan club.
While it remains to be seen if the Croatian will eventually make the move away from Barcelona, the player will be keen to get more playing time under his belt and given his calibre, he should be afforded more of the same.
#4 Las Palmas are faltering after a fine start to the season
After beginning the season on a sound note, winning games against the likes of Valencia, Granada, and Malaga, it looks like Las Palmas might be slipping into the mid-table mediocrity that was expected of them when they qualified for the La Liga at the start of the season.
The Quique Setien-managed side have now won just one of their last five games and have found the going tough as teams seem to have found a way of countering their attacking football.
While their current position in the league, 8, might not evoke a negative response from fans, the nature of the league is such that a few bad match days can result in a battle with relegation and given their form over the recent weeks, the club seems to be headed in that direction.
On Saturday evening, the club proved to be no match for Barcelona and were outplayed by the Catalan giants in every aspect of the game. The nature of the defeat might be disheartening but there is still a lot to play for and they need to put this demolition behind them to ensure their La Liga status for the next season.
#5 Las Palmas need to add more quality to their creative department
For a club that has been hailed for its creative play and attacking flair, the Las Palmas unit does lack a definitive creative spark that can turn the course of the game with a touch or a pass. On an evening when they laboured to contain the marauding Barca attack, there were opportunities that were wasted by their players, which if converted, could have resulted in a very different outcome.
Their leading creative force this season has been the Spanish midfielder Jonathan Viera, who has created an incredible 44 chances in 13 appearances in the league. However, the side has been heavily dependent on him for creative input and should teams shut down the Spaniard, as was done this evening as well as in the games against Atletico Madrid, Leganes and Alaves, Las Palmas have found the going tough.
While nothing out of the ordinary is expected of the club in the transfer market, given their thin financial resources, a playmaker who could prove to be an effective partner for Viera is the need of the hour for the club.
