Matchday 9 of the La Liga had Barcelona taking on Cesare Prandelli’s Valencia who came into the game with nine points to their name in eight games. After a poor start to the season, that saw them lose their first three games, the Los Che have quickly stepped up picking up three important wins taking them to nine points.
On the other hand, Luis Enrique’s men have had a shaky start to the season and found themselves coming into the game placed 4th on the table.
In what was a very tight and entertaining encounter in Mestalla, the Catalans came out on top, winning the game 2-3, thanks to a last-minute penalty from Lionel Messi. After taking the lead from a Messi goal, Barcelona conceded in the second half when Munir El Haddadi, a player on loan from the Catalans, netted Valencia’s first.
Rodrigo doubled Valencia’s tally before Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi ensure Barcelona don’t slip yet again.
Here are five talking points from the game:
#1 Barcelona’s injury list is a big worry
In the summer window, Luis Enrique splashed money in acquiring young players in various positions on the pitch to improve the squad depth, a move, in hindsight, is a relief for Barcelona fans, considering the injuries to their squad.
Their current injury list includes Gerrard Pique, Jordi Alba, Jasper Cillessen, Arda Turan and Rafinha. Today’s game saw their captain Andres Iniesta pick up an injury, adding him to the long list of injuries.
Iniesta went down after a rash challenge from Enzo Perez. The World Cup winner landed awkwardly on his knees and it immediately looked like something to do with a knee ligament. However, according to sources, it is not a Grade III tear of the ligament but a Grade II tear of the LCL (Lateral Collateral Ligament) which means that Iniesta will be out for four months.
Iniesta will miss important games against Manchester City, Real Madrid, Villareal and Real Sociedad, and Barca will miss their captain’s presence in midfield. But does the growing injury list mean Barcelona will find it tough to win trophies this season? Only time will tell.
#2 Samuel Umtiti is learning well but Barcelona’s defence is not good enough without Pique
While the game was one of the most open games, with Valencia troubling Barcelona just as much as Barcelona troubled them, one Barcelona player who had a good game was Samuel Umtiti. The Frenchman returned from injury midweek against Manchester City and has put in two decent performances, that would please Luis Enrique.
Umtiti made a few fantastic tackles at the back and held back to be the last man in the Barcelona defence. When Mascherano was beaten for pace, Umtiti was there to cut the attack. He showed the composure and maturity of an established player and looked like he was playing in the Barcelona side for ages.
Umtiti looks like the best choice to partner Gerrard Pique at the heart of Barcelona’s defence once the Catalan defender returns from injury.
#3 Was letting go of Munir a good decision?
Barcelona made a few questionable signings this summer, the most questionable one being that of Paco Alcacer. While there is no doubt about the ability of Paco Alcacer, did Barcelona go fishing in someone else’s pond when the fish in their pond was good enough? The Catalans have been loaning some of their best youngsters in the recent years but is it the right way forward?
Munir was slowly improving as a striker and had a great pre-season. In fact, the youngster scored in Barcelona’s Supercopa fixture. Paco Alcacer, on the other hand, hasn’t yet opened his account for Barcelona and is struggling to find the back of the net.
While the players do get valuable time on the pitch, trusting their players – especially someone who has come from their academy – is something Barcelona have always done and the change is contrary to their tradition.
#4 Cesare Prandelli is the right man for Valencia
After opening their season with four defeats, Pako Ayestaran was sacked as the manager of Valencia. He was replaced by former Italian national coach Cesare Prandelli. Prandelli was stepping back into managing a team for the first time since his stint with Turkish giants Galatasaray.
After taking over at Valencia, the club has won three of their five games, the two losses coming at the hands of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona – two of the biggest and strongest clubs in Spain.
In today’s game, Valencia looked fresh and their style of play was a great mix of sturdy defence and fast counter-attacking football. Valencia proved that teams don't have to sit back and soak in the pressure to trouble Barcelona. Prandelli can certainly lead them to the top half of the table soon.
#5 Diego Alves proves to be a pain for Barcelona yet again
Valencia’s goalkeeper Diego Alves was at the top of his game yet again against Barcelona, as he has been in the past few seasons.
The Brazillian goalkeeper was linked with a possible move to Barcelona in the summer, after their former keeper Claudio Bravo parted ways with Barcelona to join their former coach Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Alves proved to be one of the best shot-stoppers in the world yet again when he denied Messi and Suarez on several occasions this afternoon. One particular single-handed stop from a Luis Suarez shot was spectacular.
He was unlucky not to save Messi’s penalty, in spite of diving in the right direction. The conceded penalty means he has now conceded 21 penalties, the exact number he has saved, which is a staggering stat.
