3 ways Barcelona are suffering in the absence of Lionel Messi

It was indeed surprising to see Barcelona perform at a brilliant level without Messi, assuring their fans that there is and will be life at Barca after Messi.

However, a 5-1 win against a struggling Real Madrid side was not enough to display their potential, as Barcelona surrendered a one-goal lead to Inter Milan at the San Siro, as Icardi scored the equaliser in the 87th minute of the game.

Dembele was the man who started ahead of Rafinha in place of Leo Messi, as his second-half performance against Real Madrid after coming off the bench earned him a start in the next game at the San Siro.

The lack of a playmaker was pretty much clear from the first minute of the game. Coutinho was probably the best player for Barcelona that day, as he created chances in abundance for his teammates.

But those 'clear-cut' through balls were missing, which only Leo can execute.

Barcelona lacks stability without Leo Messi, and the attack suffers tremendously when he isn't playing.

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#3 Play-making

His vision, accuracy, and presence of mind are second to none

There isn't a better playmaker than Leo Messi currently, with probably just Ozil coming close. His vision, accuracy, and presence of mind are second to none, and it is not surprising that Barcelona suffer without such qualities.

Lack of creative players in the line-up turns out to be a difficult conundrum for the coaching staff to solve, and that is the sole reason why Barcelona suffer without Leo.

The attackers have one less job to do when Messi is around. Suarez and Coutinho have shown immense confidence and belief in what Messi does, as we have often seen them making runs and leaving dummies for Messi.

But that is not the case when Messi is not playing. Coutinho tries to drop back and collect the ball to start attacks, something he does not need to do when Messi plays, and Suarez drifts wide to receive passes. They exert themselves much more than normal.

Messi's work rate without the ball is below average, but with the ball at his feet, there isn't much any defender can do to stop him.

#2 Efficiency in the final third

Best friends, on and off the pitch

Lionel Messi has cemented his place as one of the most consistent players across the globe. A key figure for Barcelona and Argentina, Leo has evolved to an efficient attacker.

His calmness on the ball is incredible, as he is rarely dispossessed. In the final third, what matters most is decision making. Messi tends to pick the right pass most of the time, whereas Dembele often bottles easy passing chances.

Dembele is young, and he has already shown glimpses of what he can do. Of course, it would take him plenty of years to reach Messi's level of intelligence, but we cannot rule out the fact that he might be the heir to Messi in the future.

Finishing, passing, presence of mind, and confidence are the few aspects required to be efficient in the final third. These are the areas Messi excels.

Leo's co-ordination with Suarez and Coutinho greatly impacts the game, which brings me to my next point in the article.

#1 Co-ordination

Messi is the most important player for La Blaugrana

Leo often acts as a link between the midfielders and forwards. Without him in the line-up, Barcelona often look clueless in the final third, and they end up bottling simple scoring chances.

When Messi plays, his maturity, exceptional decision making, and a calm mind helps him get through the most difficult of situations with ease.

That is the sole reason why players prefer passing him the ball as soon as they receive it. They believe in his skill, and they probably know that they just have to get into the box and make space for themselves when Messi has the ball.

Messi is the most important player for La Blaugrana, and without him in the squad, there is no one to take up his workload.

It would be a tough job for the board to replace him in the future, but there certainly are players who can turn out to be as good as him, if not better.