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Barcelona hosted Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou on Saturday and claimed a 4-1 win.
Real Madrid had won their game before Barcelona's kicked off to go top of the table. The onus was on the Catalans to get the three points and they did just that. Lionel Messi gave Barca the lead in the first half with a penalty and they were rolling. But Celta did not go down easily and soon they were on level terms. Lucas Olaza scored a great free-kick and to make it 1-1.
But that was just the beginning of the set-piece magic for the day. Messi stepped up in first-half stoppage time to curl his free-kick in to give Barca the lead. Minutes after the second half began, he was at it again. The Argentine converted almost a carbon copy of the first free-kick to complete his hat-trick and make it 3-1. Sergio Busquets scored in the latter stages to put some gloss on the result.
Barcelona regained top spot in the league courtesy of the win despite having the same points as Real Madrid. Celta's situation is dire, as they remain in the bottom three. It was an entertaining game full of goals and here are the main reasons why Barcelona took the three points.
#3 Lionel Messi
It's pretty obvious, really. Barcelona did not impress greatly as a team, but the individual brilliance of their captain was more than enough to get the win. The penalty was a routine goal, but the two after that were magical.
When Celta gave away the foul in first-half stoppage time, the bells should have started to ring. For any other player, that free-kick is a tough one. Messi made it seemed like a tap-in. He scored another in the next half from almost the same position and Celta were all but defeated.
Barcelona created just four chances from open play in the game and Messi created two of them. He took five shots and completed two dribbles. But the two free-kicks were the highlights and they were enough to lead his side to the win.
#2 Celta could not trouble Barcelona's porous backline
Barcelona have conceded 15 goals in 12 league games this season. Their defence is not the best one by a long distance. The likes of Gerard Pique and Nelson Semedo have failed to impress so far. Sergio Busquets also can't cope with pace in midfield, but Celta failed to test these weaknesses.
They had just 31% possession in the game and Barca did a good job of making most of it harmless. Celta had six shots in the entire game, but only two of them were inside the box. Even those two were from tight angles and did not pose much threat.
Barcelona faced Slavia in their last game who did a great job of exposing those weaknesses. Celta had the likes of Pione Sisto and Iago Aspas to trouble Barca, but they failed to do so. A more aggressive game plan could have paid dividends.
#1 Barcelona's midfield dictated the tempo of the game
In their last game against Slavia, Barca did not have control of the game. Slavia were counter-attacking at will, and their midfield was failing to cope. Ernesto Valverde played Frenkie de Jong in the deepest role on Saturday and Sergi Roberto played ahead of him. Arthur also made a return to the lineup.
All three players cover a lot of ground, and that helped against Celta. Roberto worked hard in the advanced role, and he had more touches than anyone in the game. De Jong is better than Busquets in the defensive sense in the deeper role, and it showed.
The Dutchman is much more athletic, which allows him to track pacy players like Sisto. Arthur's return was a welcome one, as he gives control in possession. De Jong looks like the only assured starter at this stage in midfield, and the others will rival for places in the coming weeks.
