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Barcelona got their first away win in the league in over two months, as goals from Clement Lenglet, Martin Braithwaite and Lionel Messi gave the Blaugrana a 3-0 victory at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla against Real Valladolid in the 2020-21 La Liga.
After the Catalans could only fashion a 2-2 draw against struggling Valencia last week, Ronald Koeman responded by making three changes to the team. Sergio Busquets, Antoine Griezmann, and Philippe Coutinho made way for Miralem Pjanic, Frenkie de Jong and Oscar Mingueza, with the latter dropping back to form a three-man defence.
Barcelona got the lead their opening play deserved when Clement Lenglet headed home a pin-point cross from his captain. The French defender gave a moving tribute to Moussa Wague, who recently suffered a career-threatening injury.
Martin Braithwaite doubled Barcelona's lead ten minutes before half-time before Lionel Messi put the icing on the cake 20 minutes into the second half.
The hosts came into this game buoyed by their last-gasp draw with Sevilla on Saturday. However, against Barcelona, they were blown away and failed to truly test the away goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen, who was equal to the task when called upon by Fabio Erellana.
With the victory, Barcelona climb up to fifth in the table ahead of the visit of Eibar after the brief Christmas break. On that note, here are five talking points from the fixture.
#5 Martin Braithwaite capitalises on a rare Barcelona start
There were several raised eyebrows when Barcelona made the bizarre decision to sign Martin Braithwaite as an emergency cover for Ousmane Dembele in February.
Not many expected the player to last beyond the summer. There is also speculation that he could be sold off once the winter transfer window opens.
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old is doing his talking on the field and appears to be a favourite of Koeman. Braithwaite was handed a start at the expense of Griezmann, and the player made the most of his opportunity by scoring Barcelona's second, underlining his natural instincts as a finisher.
He was also full of energy throughout the game and played a key role in keeping the hosts' defence on the back foot. With his display at Real Valladolid, Braithwaite has shown that he is not out of place in the Barcelona set-up.
#5 Antoine Griezmann running out of time to turn around his Barcelona career
With each passing week, Antoine Griezmann looks further off the player who was regarded as one of the best in the world while at Atletico Madrid.
The France international has struggled since completing his record-breaking move to Camp Nou in 2019 and has now failed to blossom under the tutelage of three different coaches.
With Koeman deciding to switch things up on the field, the 29-year-old was one of the players to make way. However, unlike Coutinho and Busquets, Griezmann was not summoned off the bench, which is indicative of his current standing in the manager's eyes.
Antoine Griezmann's talent is undeniable, and there is still time for him to turn things around at Barcelona. However, on current evidence, he is a long way off from the levels required.
#3 A change in system brings about Barcelona's best performance in months
Barcelona generally play with a 4-3-3 formation, but Ronald Koeman has not been afraid to switch things up since his arrival.
The former Everton manager has used several variations, including a 4-1-4-1, 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2, but four defenders at the back have been a constant. However, against Real Valladolid, the 57-year-old deployed a five-man defence, with Sergino Dest and Jordi Alba acting as wing-backs.
It was a system that brought out the best of almost all 11 players on the field, as Barcelona gave what was arguably their most complete performance since their 4-0 victory over Villarreal in their first league game of the season.
Speaking after the game, Koeman said that Barcelona needed 'security', and that was why he decided to make the tactical change to five defenders.
It remains to be seen if he would stick to this formation moving ahead, especially at Camp Nou. However, considering his side's struggles away from home (they had won just one of their five away games prior to their win at Real Valladolid), the wing-back system might become more frequent at Barcelona.
#2 Pedri continues to impress at Barcelona
When Barcelona signed Pedri from Las Palmas last summer, not many expected him to be slotted straight into the first team.
Considering his relatively young age of 18, the general consensus was that he would be blooded in the Barcelona B team before being eased way up the ladder.
However, Koeman had other plans, and the former Las Palmas midfielder has played a key role for Barcelona this season, appearing in all 14 of their La Liga games.
Pedri was handed another start against Real Valladolid, and he once again shone like a million stars, dictating the tempo of the game with a confidence that belied his tender years.
Indeed, many draw comparisons between Pedri and Andres Iniesta. While it might be too early to compare him with the Barcelona legend, it cannot be argued that Pedri is one for the future.
In the absence of Ansu Fati, Pedri seems to have struck up a blossoming relationship with Lionel Messi, and it was a clever back-heel flick from the teenager that set his captain on his way to score the third goal of the night.
It was telling that the Barcelona number 10 sought Pedri out in celebration immediately after the goal, as Messi - having been the creator of such passes on numerous occasions- knew the ingenuity needed to create such moments of magic.
There has not been too much for Blaugrana fans to celebrate in what has been a bleak season, but the performance of Pedri so far has given hope that there might be light at the end of the tunnel.
#1 Lionel Messi writes his name into the record books yet again
When Lionel Messi headed Barcelona level against Valencia last week, it saw him equal a record set by the legendary Pele with Santos over five decades ago.
In the build-up to this game, Lionel Messi had told the press that he was happy at Barcelona. That reflected against Real Valladolid, as the player put up one of his best performances in months.
Lionel Messi played with a smile on his face that had been lost for weeks. He set Lenglet up with a brilliant cross for Barcelona's opening goal. The Blaugrana captain also combined brilliantly with Sergino Dest, whose cut-back allowed Braithwaite to score.
Lionel Messi also got the goal his performance deserved midway through the second half. The goal was scored with typical precision from the Rosario native, with his first touch setting him up in his stride while the second took the ball past the despairing dive of Jordi Masip.
His 644th goal for Barcelona made him the player with the most goals in history for a single club.
To put the achievement into perspective, for a player to break this Lionel Messi record, they would have to score at least 40 goals for 16 consecutive seasons at a single club.
