Barcelona look to be back in form ahead of their crucial UEFA Champions League fixture against PSG. After their 6-1 rout of Sporting Gijon mid-week, Luis Enrique’s side have recorded a thumping 5-0 win over Celta Vigo courtesy of some Lionel Messi magic.
The Barcelona stalwart scored two and assisted a further two as the Celta players were left unfounded in front on Messi’s brilliance. Messi opened the scoring for the Catalan giants curling one past Alvarez after a breath-taking run, before setting up Neymar for the second goal – which the Brazilian scored with the deftest of chips.
Also Read: Twitter explodes as Lionel Messi masterclass helps Barcelona destroy Celta Vigo
Rakitic then made it 3-0 before Messi provided a pin-point cross for Samuel Umtiti to score his first Barcelona goal. Messi hit the sucker punch with another moment of individual genius as he cut in from right before beating the keeper to send Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
Here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 It is not Zinedine Zidane or Real Madrid’s fault if Lionel Messi wins Barcelona the league
There is not much that anyone on the football pitch can do to stop Lionel Messi when the Argentine is in red-hot form. Messi was at his sensational best against Celta Vigo and in that nick, it is hard for even one of the best clubs in Europe to keep the 5-time Ballon d’Or winner at bay.
Messi has been equal to the task whenever his team has needed him so far – as long as the league is concerned at least. He has bailed his team out – whether it be with a late winner, a crucial penalty or just a simple assist – on more occasions that you can remember.
Honestly, Messi has been so dominant for Barca this season that you begin to question how a team with a plethora of world-class talent is so dependent on one man.
While Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo have struggled to get the results going lately, Messi has single-handedly won his side the 3-points – helping Luis Enrique’s side keep the pressure on Los Blancos. Zidane’s men can only try to win the games that they have but an occasional slip-up is expected and in normal conditions is accepted.
However, there is nothing normal with Lionel Messi it is and as such, it won’t be any shame if the Santiago Bernabeu outfit fall just short when the season comes to an end. After all, there is nothing wrong in ceding defeat to something so spectacular.
#2 Barcelona are going all out for La Liga, whether they are in the Champions League or not!
Luis Enrique’s side are currently the most in-form team in Europe’s top-5 leagues. You would argue that only last month they were handed out a hiding by Unai Emery’s PSG but let me elaborate on that.
Barca are currently the most in-form team in Europe’s top-5 leagues based on their league form. The Blaugrana are currently on a 19-match unbeaten streak in the league with their last loss dating back to 2nd October against the same opponent.
During this time, the Camp Nou outfit have faced all the other 19-teams in the league but have either won or drawn all of the matches. They have picked up 44 points out of a 54 possible and look good money to walk away with yet another La Liga title – irrespective of whether they are still competing in Europe or not.
#3 Celta were let down by officials but their profligacy in front of goal cost them
As Ivan Rakitic fired home the third to put any hopes of a Celta comeback to bed, one could feel bad for the traveling away side as the Croatian was a good yard offside when the ball fell on his feet and he capped off a brilliant Barcelona move. However, Eduardo Berizzo’s side were hard done by a poor call from the linesman as the goal should never have stood.
But to pin the loss on only that one bad call from the linesman will not be correct as the Balaidos side had more than enough chances to pull one back but were let down by poor finishing from their forwards – including Iago Aspas who has been on fire this season. The former Liverpool man was guilty of trying too hard at times as he spurned a couple of great chances in the first half and then some in the second one and against a side of Barcelona’s stature that’s a cardinal sin.
#4 With Messi in that form, PSG need to worry
Luis Enrique did raise a few eyebrows when he decided to start all three of MSN against Celta, especially given his side’s ‘do-or-die’ Champions League encounter against PSG on Wednesday night. However, he must feel vindicated given that his side came up with one of their best performances of the season and look set to give the Parc des Princes outfit a run for their money.
Barcelona have to do – what no team has ever managed to do in the Champions League, turn around a 4-goal deficit from the first leg. What once looked like an unassailable lead is now under threat thanks to the inhuman form that Messi has been in lately. Barcelona have scored 11 goals this week in La Liga and have finished their last 2 games with scorelines that will be enough to help them qualify for the quarter-final if they are able to secure a similar result against Unai Emery’s side.
#5 Where has this Barcelona been?
It took Luis Enrique’s resignation to make Barcelona look like the team we all know they are capable of being. The Spaniard has been criticized this term as the team lacked an identity and failed to hit the peaks that they have so successfully managed to do in the past.
Lionel Messi was definitely playing on a level different to everyone else on the hallowed turf of Camp Nou but apart from him there looked to be a swag about this Barcelona team last night – a thing that has been very clearly missing for a long while now.
The movement of the Barcelona players was crisp, the defence didn’t look as leaky as it has been, the players were linking up well (evident by the one-twos between Messi-Suarez, Messi-Neymar) and most of all they were at their dominant best and look far more assured than they have at most times this season. If only, Barca had his this form ahead of their first-leg against PSG and the story could have been very different right now, who knows it might still go in their favour but what could have been.
