BATE Borisov 0-2 Barcelona: Five talking points

An Ivan Rakitic brace made the difference in Barysaw as Barcelona cruised to a comfortable 2-0 victory over BATE Borisov and took a giant step towards the round of 16. Sans Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta for the trip to Belarus, the visitors endured a relatively dormant first half that saw them perform with laxity and also waste a few decent scoring chances.The defending champions came flying out of the blocks, rejuvenated in the second half, and grabbed the lead almost instantly when Rakitic drilled a cross from Neymar high into the net, and put the tie to bed when the Croat chipped the ball over BATE ‘keeper Sergey Chernik, after gathering another pass from the Brazilian.Barcelona made light of the absence of some of their key players as they got their job done without much hassle, and tightened their grip at the summit of group E. Here are five talking points from the game.

#1 Busquets shines in creative role

With a raft of injuries plaguing the holders Barcelona, manager Luis Enrique tweaked the starting line-up a bit that saw Javier Mascherano pushed up to the centre of the park and shoehorn Sergio Busquets in a more creative role. It was a move that yielded rich dividends as the Spaniard thrived in his new job.

Busquets was allowed the license to surge forward with the Argentine forming the base of the midfield pivot. The 26-year old made some good moves both on and off the ball, and dominated possession. He was precise with his crosses and got into dangerous positions oftenly.

He missed two good chances to get on the scoresheet but his contributions in the attack were undeniably better than most would have expected. A laudable show from a player who isn’t so used to shouldering attacking responsibilities.

#2 Another casualty for Barca

After a historic treble campaign last term, the Pandora’s box seems to have opened for Barcelona, for they have been afflicted with a host of injury concerns this season. Joining Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Rafinha in the Barcelona treatment room is Sergi Roberto, who sustained a calf injury midway in the first half.

The Catalan teenager was having a fine season with the first team, making strides on the right of the fullback position and proving his worth to the side. In this fixture, Lucho opted to play him at the heart of the defence, and while he was dovetailing into the role seamlessly, calamity struck as he had to be stretchered off after just 18 minutes on the clock.

Although it came as a blessing in disguise as Ivan Rakitic came off the bench and made the difference, the ever-growing list of casualties is definitely a worrying prospect for Enrique and co.

#3 Rakitic takes up the mantle

It wasn’t a part of the plan, but Rakitic had to be brought on for the injured Sergi Roberto and the Croatia international made sure he left an indelible mark on his Belarusian trip as he bagged a superb brace that secured all the three points for Azulgrana.

After a goal-less first half that saw the former Sevilla man put in a rather insipid performance, he roared back into the game after the break in an emphatic fashion. Neymar drifted infield to lay a pass and the ball found it’s way to Rakitic who was 25 yards out, and drilled a strong finish into top corner. Few minutes after the hour mark, Rakitic killed the tie totally as he collected a sublime cross from Neymar again to nonchalantly dink the ball over an onrushing Chernik.

The Croat took up the goalscoring mantle in the absence of their talismanic Argentine with great elan, and enjoyed a rare goal-fest in front of the post.

#4 Neymar turns provider

Last weekend, the Brazilian hogged all the limelight for his incredible four-goal haul in a 5-2 thumping of Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. It was his first quadruple in a Barcelona shirt and sparked a ray of hope in Messi’s absence, with a dip in Luis Suarez’s goalscoring form too recently.

While he wasn’t able to keep his scoring streak going, Neymar made another telling contribution in the attack with two impeccable assists and terrific show down the left. Arguably the biggest threat coming from the visitors, Neymar scythed down the flanks indefatigably and unlocked defences at will.

With Suarez enduring a quieter night in the attack under the Borisov lights, the Brazil ace stepped up to the plate with his ingenuity and helped his side walk away with a win. His first cross was a decent one that an unmarked Rakitic finished with consummate ease, the second oozed class as it was an inch-perfect delivery that met the onrushing midfielder and converted it with equally classy chip.

No goals for Neymar tonight, but his impact was still very much felt.

#5 Finally a clean sheet for Barca

One of the biggest challenges faced by Barcelona this season is their fragile defence that has copiously leaked goals. A stuttering win over Sevilla in the UEFA Supercup and a debacle against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Supercup in the opening two games of the season had sounded the danger knell for the European champions.

However, after two decent games in the league where they managed to keep a clean sheet, problems arose again at the back, and Barcelona conceded goals in games stretching over a month and a half.

A 2-0 win over BATE means the Catalan giants have registered a cleansheet for the first time since August, ending an 8-game run of conceding atleast one goal. It comes as some relief for Enrique who has been fretting over his side’s ropey back-line.

The defending quartet of Barcelona rearguard dispatched a compelling performance against the Belarusian champions, and played with some stout that had gone missing all this while. A small, additional reason to raise manager Enrique’s spirits.