5 reasons behind Lionel Messi's incredible form this season

#4 Neymar's absence

The departure of Neymar to PSG meant that Messi had to step up and take full responsibility to lead Barca

Barcelona encountered a very big problem during the last transfer window. Brazilian superstar, Neymar, departed the club for Paris Saint-Germain in a complicated deal. Despite the fact that Barca initially claimed the player was not for sale, the Catalans could eventually not avoid the deal, as the French team decided to pay the release clause in the player's contract worth €222 million.

The major reason why the move has affected Barcelona, is that Neymar was one of the most influential figures in the squad at the time he left. This implies that the Brazilian essentially shared the workload with Messi.

After Neymar led Barca to history as the Catalans defeated Paris Saint Germain 6-1 in the UEFA Champions League during the previous season, many people started identifying Neymar as Barcelona's future.

However, since the Brazilian departed, Lionel Messi recognized that he had to step up in order help the team. Leo reignited his role as the pioneer and took the responsibility as the key player in the squad with his brilliant displays.

The Argentine hasn't disappointed with his performances, as his presence in the team is being greatly felt. With the champion playmaker stepping up, Barca is sitting comfortably at the top of the La Liga table and has almost qualified for the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League.

The Argentine has now scored 16 goals in just 17 matches (in all competitions) for the Blaugrana, this season.