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FC Barcelona is on course to complete a glorious treble as they won their 27th Copa Del Rey crown against a formidable Athletic side. Luis Enrique has turned the tables in his debut season as he seals a domestic double with a comfortable win at Camp Nou.
From Messi’s brilliance to Bilbao’s tenacity, here are the five talking points from this exciting match.
5. MSN continues to run riot
There have been very few troikas in world football that have been as lethal and prolific as the current Barca trio. The magical trio of Messi, Suarez and Neymar has blown away every single defence which they’ve faced since the turn of the year.
It’s not only nearly impossible to stop them but very difficult to contain them. Such has been their on-field chemistry that they are reminiscent of the golden Dutch trio of Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Guillit and Marco van Basten and Barca’s very own legendary trio of Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi.
They are banging goals left, right and centre as their tally for the season stands at a staggering 120 goals. They broke the previous record set by Real Madrid’s trio of Ronaldo, Benzema and Higuain. But what sets them apart from the Los Blancos trio is the overall contribution from each member of the trio, also consodering the number of games Luis Suarez missed due to the ban. All three of them have made telling contributions as Barca became more and more rampant with each passing game in the season.
4. Athletic never really stood a chance
Bilbao entered into the finals in Camp Nou as rank underdogs. Such was Barca’s domination in the final that even the underdog’s tag seemed an inflated estimation of their chance to win the final. The Catalans blew away their visitors in the first half itself with a perfect blend of individual brilliance and team effort as they roared to a 2-0 lead.
Los Leones did try to claw their way back into the final with a tenacious second half display, but that just wasn’t good enough to upset the Barca juggernaut. Although they did claw one back through Inaki Williams, the game was already beyond their reach by then.
To say that the Basques were poor on the night wouldn’t be a fair testament to their grit and fight. They were just up against opponents who were far superior to them and made them looked pedestrian. With such a young and gifted squad at the helm, things are surely looking bright at San Mames despite tonight’s excruciating defeat.
3. Legends bid adieu
This Copa Del Rey final saw the end of two great eras for both the finalist teams. Xavi Hernandez and Andoni Iraola both played the last round of domestic games for their respective boyhood clubs. Both of them are icons for their respective clubs and both of them are moving to different avenues in search of new challenges. While one ended his career with heartbreak, the other is heading towards a fairytale ending to his story.
Iraola has been a mainstay in the Bilbao squad for almost 12 years and has been with Bilbao through good and bad times. Tonight he had the chance to win his first piece of silverware with the Basque club but his jinxed run of finals continued as Bilbao ended the match with a defeat. The Basque legend will be moving to MLS next season.
If Barca wins a treble, then Xavi would join an elite group of players to do a treble twice in their career while being with a single club. This was his last game at Camp Nou and he surely will leave Catalonia on a very bright and joyous note.
2. Oh My Messi
Cometh the hour and cometh the man! The 27 year old has a knack of rising up to the occasion for big games and he didn’t disappoint tonight.
The little magician just weaved his magic as he scored two diverse but equally beautiful goals. His first and also Barca’s first goal was something which was a typical Lionel Messi goal. The Argentine skipped past three defenders with pace and skill as he rode into the box before thumping it into the Bilbao net. It was arguably best goal of the competition. In some ways, it even bettered Gareth Bale’s wonder goal in last season’s finals.
If his first goal was a goal replete with individual brilliance then his second was a true poacher’s goal. Messi soared into the position beating two defenders to meet Dani Alves’ cross as he scored Barca’s third goal of the night. There are no superlatives and adjectives in English language which can aptly describe the brilliance of this man.
1. Can Enrique do a Guardiola?
Barca’s fortunes have changed dramatically in the space of an year. They finished last season trophyless with some telling questions left unanswered. In came Luis Enrique and now finally Barca are on course for a historic treble. If Enrique manages to win a treble in his debut season at Camp Nou, he will emulate his former teammate and Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola.
Winning a treble is always special and achieving so in one’s debut season is even more special. Guardiola did it with his revolutionary brand of ‘tiki-taka’ football in 2008/09. There are stark differences in both Guardiola and Enqriue’s approaches to football. And if at all Luis Enrique manages to win a treble then it will be ever more significant considering the issues he had to face in his debut season at the club, both on and off the field.
Its two down and one to go for Barca and Enrique, and only a shrewd and compact Juventus side stand in their way to glory, who have clawed their way back into European elite after years in oblivion.
