Barcelona: 3 reasons why Suarez is as important as Messi for the Blaugrana

#2 Lethal in the absence of Messi

Real Betis Balompie v FC Barcelona - La Liga

It is an open secret that Barcelona are overdependent on Messi and the Blaugrana coach, Ernesto Valverde himself admitted that. Being versatile with his movements and efficiency in the opponents half, Suarez plays the role of an ideal partner to the Argentine talisman. But even when Messi did not feature or had a quiet night, Suarez managed to secure Barcelona's win.

Arguably, the biggest example of Suarez's exploits without Messi is his performance against Real Madrid. The Blaugrana striker netted a sensational hat-trick in the 5-1 win, ending his goal drought in unforgettable fashion.

The veteran Uruguayan striker kept pushing Barcelona forward when Messi suffered an injury in the first half of the season. Suarez obviously is the talisman for Barcelona during the absence of Messi.

While critics have labeled Barcelona as a one-man team at times, Suarez's presence is a catalytic factor in Messi's majestic performances. It depicts what Messi lacks with Argentina - a perfect number nine who can understand him well and perform against the toughest opponents.