It was a force that could not be stopped.

-By Sagar Follow @sagar_m10

A very frustrating Roma squeezed out a draw last time around. That was what was expected when they came to Camp Nou. A tight, disciplined, and a cohesive defense that, although might not be able to completely stop Barca, could frustrate them. Definitely that.

What transpired was a match riddled with folly tactics for Roma, and a 90 minute training session for Barca.

Although Roma were without Gervinho and Salah, they could have just as easily shut up shop and frustrated Barca to no end. Sure, they might not have been able to stop them for the entirety of the match, but they would still have had that outside chance.

Barca had MSN back on the pitch, and that was the main talking point, with many saying it might take them a while to get into the ‘groove of things’. Well, if this is them still ‘getting into the groove’, I wouldn’t want to be the opposition manager when they are in the groove.

Really Roma?

As it was said, Roma came with a game-plan that made next to no sense. Any team that holds a high-line against this Barca side is ‘brave’ and, if executed well enough, can get the better of Barca. What is required for such a tactic to work is the ‘press’ from the whole team. One cannot hold a high-line, and not press or attack! That is simply a recipe for disaster. As seen clearly. The Roma midfielders gave the Barca midfielders ample time and space to pick out MSN, whilst holding a high-line. Even an amateur like me could see the folly in that. It is mighty tough to get the ball off Barca, but it’s not unheard of where a few Barca players (Pique) have shown that they are susceptible to some howlers. 5 defenders, 4 midfielders, a high-line, and no pressure on the player with the ball.



‘The Busquets’ (again):

He owned the middle of the park for the first 45 minutes. He didn’t play the next 45 minutes.With 74 touches, 94.2% pass accuracy while feeding the attack, and 2 key passes, with one of them looking like this. Psych! #fcblive pic.twitter.com/1XrixCgdmK — Sagar M (@Sagar_m10) November 24, 2015 He was ever present to win back all the clearances from Roma, and made sure there were no surprise breaks on the defense.

It’s one thing to acknowledge a good player and say “Nothing new. He does it all the time” (Messi), quite another to not even acknowledge the genius that is Busquets. From the defensive duties to the attacking ones, he has been picture perfect, for a long time now. Brilliant Busquets, who is not even nominated for UEFA XI.

MSN. Why? After a month, and 30 minutes of Madrid, MSN played full 90 minutes. The worst part? With 4 goals and 2 assists between them (and a missed penalty), they still did not look like they were at their peak. It’s simply unfair. One thing to admire about this MSN, is although they are 3 world-class players, they play like they are one organism.One of their main secrets for such success is something every footballer is taught since their first kick. ‘Pass and move, pass and move’. For all their tricks, flairs, dribbles, one-touch wonders, they never fail to ‘move’ after making their pass. Constant movement.

The fact that they are still evolving is a scary prospect. And it did happen. Neymar took up the ‘creative responsibilities’ a few times in the match, and found Messi making those runs into the box.

__________________________________________________________

After the first 10 minutes, it was evident how the match would turn out, and it was just a matter of how many goals.

Pique, finally got the goal that has been evading him since two matches, and though it might not have been the Manita at Madrid, it was against Roma. A club that is a heavy-weight in Italy.

The defense itself did not have much to do, except for an occasional attack or two, but they tidied up after themselves. Stegen was unlucky to concede that goal after having saved a penalty. The midfield was always finding itself with comfortable amount of space and time to launch attacks, and Roberto once again showed that this rise in form is not just a one time ‘burst’. Samper played the entire second half, and looked solid and decent. He made some impressive passes up front and looked to harry the opposition on defense. ‘MSN’ was simply spectacular. It was not just the goals, but the constant movement, passes, and the ease with which they pulled it off that was a sight to behold.

Barca are on a roll, and no team can sustain such form for a long time, and it’s tricky to maintain it. Football itself is a tricky business after all, but, Lucho seems to know what he is doing.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Roma:

Best: Iturbe (C): He came on in the 46th minute, but did more than any other Roma player did the entire match. His runs were fast, dangerous, and his close control saw him making dangerous plays in the Barca third during the last 20 minutes or so.

Questionable display: Digne (D-): With a highline, he made it even more complicated for Roma as he kept running to the inside to add an extra body in the midfield which was not pressing. Messi then drifted in to make sure he was definitely drawn in, and let Alves have a field day on the right.

Barca:

Best: MSN (A+): They are ‘one’. See each one individually, and they are world class individuals who occupy the top 3 spots in the ‘best players right now’ list. Much has been said about their technical prowess, but it’s the little things that make it a joy to watch them. Like Messi & Suarez being on a hat-trick and letting Neymar take that penalty (He missed it). Ego is good for a footballer, and they all have them. That’s how you become the best, but when you find those team-mates that make it fun to play, you let everything go and just…enjoy.

Questionable display: Vermaelen (B-): This is nitpicking now. A very messy penalty to give away, few poor clearances, and let Dzeko climb over him for that one goal, but frankly everyone had switched off at the time. That’s about it.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

What Say You?!