Leganes vs Barcelona: 5 talking points

It was a pretty satisfying day for Barcelona as they not only managed to pick up a routine win over Leganes in what was a tricky tie but also managed to open up a 10-point lead over Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

Going into the game, Barcelona were pretty confident as they had beaten Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao in the league prior to the international break. Leganes certainly didn’t make it easy for them and just when it looked like the hosts could hold out for a draw, Luis Suarez decided to finally end his goalless spell.

The Uruguayan’s brace and Paulinho’s third made it a rout, but it didn’t tell the entire story of the game. Here are three talking points from the game:

#5 Luis Suarez’s goal-drought ends

For more than two and half months, the Uruguayan scuffed shots, hit the woodwork, skied routine finishes and had such a bad touch that you’d be forgiven as a Barcelona fan if you didn’t want him at the club. But Suarez has perhaps never had such a bad spell of form ever at any other club, so you can’t rule out him coming back into form.

While the arrival of a new manager somewhat affected his form – as he was shifted to a wider role – he was still putting in the work which is why Ernesto Valverde wasn’t hesitant about deciding to name him on the teamsheet regularly.

Suarez needed a bit of luck and that came in the clash against Leganes as he scored off two rebounds. While the first was extremely lucky as goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar failed to collect a Paco Alcacer cross (in truth, he should have punched it away to avoid the whole scenario), the second was a free-flowing Barcelona move that ended with Suarez’s shot being deflected into the net.

The brace will act as a confidence booster and with a clash against Juventus coming up, Barca now have two forwards – Alcacer and Suarez -- who now have tasted at least some success in finding the back of the net.

#4 Leganes lose by a three-goal margin but impress

Prior to the game, Leganes had the third best defensive record in the league having conceded just eight goals in 11 games and you could see why. They played a very narrow and compact setup and even invited the likes of Alba and Semedo to put a few crosses into the box, knowing well that the Blaugrana didn’t have the height to use to their advantage.

While it did work for most of the game, Barcelona’s quality was too much for Leganes. Lionel Messi eventually dropped deeper and the likes of Rakitic and Busquets were able to combine with the attackers to create triangles that was too much for the hosts’ defence.

Leganes had only scored nine goals and that didn’t change, but they did force ter Stegen into making a few sharp saves, nothing the German couldn’t handle as he has been immaculate so far this season.

The scoreline was perhaps a tad bit harsh but Barcelona are the league leaders for a reason. So the fans won’t be too displeased with the performance.

#3 Gerard Pique’s yellow card

Samuel Umtiti and Gerard Pique were walking the suspension tightrope ahead of the clash against Valencia next weekend. While Umtiti managed to come out unscathed, Pique was booked for what was a silly challenge on Nordin Amrabat in the 29th minute.

With Javier Mascherano struggling to shake off an injury and Thomas Vermaelen still not 100% match fit, Barcelona could be in for a tricky decision come next weekend.

Vermaelen will be expected to play in the fixture next Sunday, but considering it’s a top of the table clash, some of the fans will be definitely concerned.

Ernesto Valverde didn’t look happy with the booking and revealed after the game, "I protested the booking because Amrabat made a lot of the contact, encouraging the challenge. And because the fans were pressing. But for me it was a foul that could have been given in our favour. I'm sure the Leganes coach will think the opposite. But for me the card is excessive."

"For the Barcelona coach, no. For the Leganes coach, yes (when asked if the card was deserved). Amrabat's always looking for contact. I don't know if it was a foul for us or for them. The referee saw it one way and that's that."

#2 Leganes’ lack of creativity in midfield

While Leganes were extremely passive in the first 30 odd minutes, they did spring into life in the last 10 minutes of the first half and kept it that way until the second goal went in. Their game is dependent on a reactive style, so the counters were their only ploy of getting something out of the game. However, they didn’t have that connect from defence to attack.

When they did win the ball, their transitions were often broken either by Barcelona’s high press or their own inability to pick a pass and dwell too much on the ball, thereby losing it.

Nordin Amrabat and Alexander Szymanowski were perhaps the two best attacking outlets, but they didn’t have enough support which made things fairly comfortable for the Barcelona backline. Apart from maybe a couple of saves, ter Stegen had a comfortable afternoon.

If the side can manage to rope in a creative playmaker who can start moves from their own half, they could move higher up the table.

#1 The Blaugrana adapt to keep their unbeaten run going

Leganes v Barcelona - La Liga — Ernesto Valverde

In the last fortnight or so, there has been talk that Barcelona will drop points eventually. While that is plausible, it’s also worth pointing out that they have faced teams who play different styles and have still managed to come out on top.

While the clash against Athletic Bilbao was about negating the Basque side’s relentless press, the game against Sevilla was dealing with a decent defence while ensuring that they didn’t get hit on the counter by a lightning-quick attack.

Against Leganes, it was about their ability to find the back of the net, something that they didn’t manage to do against Olympiacos who pretty much parked the bus in Greece.

Lest we forget, it’s been three games since Messi score for the Blaugrana, yet, they are sitting pretty at the top of the table in La Liga and the Champions League. Weren’t they supposed to be in a crisis a few months ago?