In a superb match on Sunday night, Barcelona beat Levante 0-5.
The win takes Barça back to the top of La Liga, three points clear of Atlético Madrid and Sevilla. Who were the winners and losers?
Winner: Leo Messi
Messi rarely disappoints, but his cameo appearance in the Champions League was decidedly underwhelming, featuring just one miracle pass and one sublime dribble. And last season his absence from the Barcelona squad led to them losing their chance at an unbeaten Liga season away to Levante. Messi was obviously aware of this and determined to make it up to the fans tonight because… well… damn.
Where to even begin? From the get go he was on it, but his ridiculous run across the face of the box before clipping a no-look reverse cross back into the box for Luis Suárez to score was just ridiculous. That was 0-1 and completely took the wind out of Levante’s billowing sails. He then made it 0-2 racing onto a great Sergio Busquets pass, slotting home with his right-foot (someone show Pelé!)
As the second half began and Levante came out with loads of cut and thrust. But just as he did in the first half, Messi deflated everything when he smashed home a Jordi Alba cutback with that oh-so-familiar left-foot thwapping shot. 0-3. Then he was Johnny-on-the-spot to tap home Arturo Vidal’s cutback for 0-4. And finally, finally, he put the ball on a plate for Gerard Piqué to make it 0-5. Vengeance complete!
2010: 60
2011: 59
2012: 91
2013: 45
2014: 58
2015: 52
2016: 59
2017: 54
2018: 50Lionel Messi has scored 50+ goals for club & country in eight of the last nine years.
pic.twitter.com/jOLMXtbs9W
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 16, 2018
By the by, that assist makes Messi the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to hit a double-double this season with 14 goals and 10 assists. That’s the most goals and the most assists anyone has managed in Europe’s top five leagues this season, just so you know. And having won the game means Messi has more Liga wins for Barcelona than anyone else (323 if you’re counting). Oh, and he’s second top scorer in the Champions League despite starting just half the games in the group stages. What can you say except that Leo Messi is clearly the fifth best player in the world? #RespectTheFifth
Loser: Enis Bardhi
Sometimes, it’s just not your day. Enis Bardhi was brilliant as Levante beat Barcelona 5-4 at the back end of last season. The Macedonian was magnificent, in fact, scoring two stunning goals – his first to kill off Barcelona’s first comeback attempt and his second that ended up being the game-winner.
Tonight, however, things didn’t go his way. His forays into the Barcelona box ended up getting rebuffed by the Blaugrana defenders. Worse still, in defence it was Bardhi that gave the ball away for Barça’s first goal by trying to dribble out of his own box. And then on their third he could have cut out Jordi Alba’s cutback but just left it. Finally, on the Blaugrana’s first goal he was once again caught in possession.
Winner: Luis Suárez
The only attacking player to be outright rested midweek against Spurs, it seems that Barcelona’s management team has finally realised that at 31 years of age, Luis Suárez needs to have his minutes managed if he’s to arrive at the crunch part of the season in good physical shape.
So he missed out midweek, and a result played with a lot more drive and energy tonight against Levante. He looked much more like the “old” Luis Suárez; younger (ironically) and leaner, more physically capable. This was evident first in his goal which, alright Messi’s pass was miraculous, but Suárez’s volleyed finish was mindbendingly brilliant. And he didn’t stop hustling either, getting a great pre-assist for Barcelona’s fourth goal when he won it back and fired in a delicious cross. A masterclass.
Winner: Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué has been trying to score a breakaway goal in a Barcelona game ever since he did it against Real Madrid back in 2009. He’s also been trying to score a fifth goal in a game ever since he failed to do it against Real Madrid in 2015. Tonight, after an amazing defensive display where he marshalled Barça’s defence in an unfamiliar three-man back-line, helping them shut down lightning Levante, he did both.
Winning the ball back inside his own box, Piqué ran out of defence all the way into the Levante half before cutting inside to avoid the tracking Campana. He then played the ball off to Messi and ran forward. Messi found Coutinho who drove into the heart of the Levante defence, freeing Messi on the left. Coutinho to Messi (featuring a good leave by Piqué), Messi first-time back in to Piqué… the big man then pulled the ball back to leave the rushing Coke diving to block thin air before calming slotting home his dream goal.
Loser: La Liga
Barcelona are three points clear at the top of La Liga. That tiny margin is mostly because Barça have dropped numerous senseless points over the course of the season (including a whole week of three winless games because Piqué shaved his beard – no, seriously). So it looked like we were in for a madcap season where no one side took advantage.
But this victory makes it three straight Liga wins for the Blaugrana – and more notably, three straight clean sheets. Ousmane Dembélé and Arturo Vidal both seem to have overcome their (very different) early season issues to now be useful members, Messi is flying, Suárez is fit… basically Barça are starting to look like Barça again; and if they keep this up then it’s easy to see the Champions pull away from the pack in their quest to seal their 8th title in the last 12 years.
Winner: Ernesto Valverde
Valverde has made some strange decisions in his time as Barcelona boss, particularly as it relates to taking risks with pace and overplaying Ivan Rakitic, but by and large he’s done a very, very good job. Tonight may have been one of his more impressive feats, however.
Combining good squad rotation in the week as well as sensible squad management, Valverde was able to respond to a mini-injury crisis in defence (no fit right-backs!) by switching formation to a 3-5-2. This unfamiliar system should have been a huge risk, especially against a vibrant Levante side that stomped Barcelona in this stadium last season 5-4.
But Valverde was undaunted, and he clearly imparted his advice and instructions to his players superbly well because Barça were brilliant. From Piqué playing on the right of a back three, to Ousmane Dembélé playing wing-back, to Thomas Vermaelen straight-up just playing and then being replaced in defence by Ivan Rakitic… all of the risks paid off. Everything worked. Barça were brilliant and recorded a sensational 0-5 win to move top of La Liga once again. Hats off to Ernesto Valverde!
The post The winners and losers as mind-blowing Messi exacts revenge on Levante appeared first on Squawka News.
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