'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#1 Messi is the heartbeat of this Barca side, and it was painfully obvious
Lionel Messi conjured up one goal and then scored another inside 12 minutes before he suffered a shoulder injury. The pain meant that he was unable to continue, and his mesmeric presence eluded us for the rest of the game.
Trending
Barca's swagger went off the pitch with Messi, and a different side emerged. The possession went from 68% with Messi on the pitch to 48% without him. Sevilla came into the game more and started creating chances,
The Catalans managed to hold them off, but the change in the game's pattern after Messi's withdrawal was painfully obvious for Valverde. His side play Inter in midweek and they will face Real Madrid in the Clasico on Sunday. Messi's involvement is likely to be marginal this week, and it will be intriguing to see how Barcelona deal with it.
