4 positives from Lionel Messi's injury layoff

#2 It revealed Barcelona's true identity

Barca can shine even without their star man

Everyone knows Lionel Messi has been Barcelona's best player for over a decade, helping to keep La Blaugrana at an incredible level for several years, as well as stepping up to cover their blushes whenever they find themselves in tight situations.

After the Argentine injured his arm during Barcelona's 4-2 victory against Sevilla in a recent LaLiga fixture, the Catalan giants were faced with the challenge of proving themselves, and they did that well, recording 4 convincing back-to-back victories across all competitions.

Taking El Clasico as a point of reference, two of the biggest clubs in Spain both lined up without key players, and they were both expected to prove themselves.

Barcelona emerged victorious, thrashing their arch-rivals, Real Madrid, 5-1 at the Nou Camp, and sending a fantastic message to the footballing world.