Messi with the ‘rotation squad’

-Sagar Follow @Sagar_m10

Tensions were high, pride stepped upon, and hostility was in the air. Espanyol were hosting Barca. After the last two fixtures, it was evident that the refs would keep a keen eye on proceedings, and both teams tried to be on their best behavior this evening. Tried.

Lucho, once again, went the way of rotations as he played S.Roberto-Turan-Rakitic midfield combo. But, the main omission was Neymar. Suarez was suspended for the match, and so Munir and Vidal completed a very ‘new look’ front three for Barca with Messi.

It was quite anti-climatic to neutral fans as the intensity and the ‘fight’ to win was completely gone, and all that was left in the Espanyol side was bitterness, and a sense of helplessness. Barca dominated possession, dealt with the rough tackles, and passed to Messi.

It was a sound tactic, and one that worked.

Messi, having just won his 5th ballon d’or, did not look like a ‘satisfied’ player throughout the match, as he weaved in and out, threaded passes to his team-mates, and bore some rough tackles. Yet, he did not have to move up a gear to dismantle this Espanyol side. A precise, calculated pass to Munir, left the latter through on goal, who sidestepped the GK and slotted home for the first.

The second half saw the Barca players settle into an uneven rhythm as they were not exactly harried by the opponents, but they could not ride over their opponents as smoothly as they’re accustomed to. Messi & co. decreased their intensity, and the drop in sharpness was visible. Although Espanyol tried taking advantage of this blip, Ter Stegen really wanted that clean sheet, as (despite a heavy body check on him) he made himself big, was always on his toes, and half a step faster than everyone.

The second Barca goal did come, when Turan passed it to Vidal, who laid it off for an easy Munir tap-in.

The “new” signings of Barca have already started paying dividends.

FT.

Rotations:





It’s not just depth in numbers, but rather depth in ‘versatility’. The players on the pitch could be moved around in different ways.

Lucho has gotten a lot of new ‘pieces’ to play with, and with the availability of Turan and Vidal, he has a chance at some interesting permutations and combinations. As Vidal slotted into the right-midfield at times, Turan moved to left-wing. Turan then moved to the midfield when Vidal moved to Right-wing, and Munir moved to the left. And there was room for more changes, as Vidal and Munir interchanged wings in the later stages of the match.

All in all, Lucho can, and has, ensure(d) that the starting XI get rotated out and rested, at the same time, keeping the bench on their toes, and giving them valuable minutes.

It’s not just depth in numbers, but rather depth in ‘versatility’. The players on the pitch could be moved around in different ways. Lucho has gotten a lot of new ‘pieces’ to play with, and with the availability of Turan and Vidal, he has a chance at some interesting permutations and combinations. As Vidal slotted into the right-midfield at times, Turan moved to left-wing. Turan then moved to the midfield when Vidal moved to Right-wing, and Munir moved to the left. And there was room for more changes, as Vidal and Munir interchanged wings in the later stages of the match. All in all, Lucho can, and has, ensure(d) that the starting XI get rotated out and rested, at the same time, keeping the bench on their toes, and giving them valuable minutes. Mascherano:





Just one and a half season before, Barca were in dire need of defenders, and now, they have too many.

Either way, they get rotated, a lot. And, it was Masche’s turn. He did not perform convincingly in this fixture. It’s not just this, but the whole season where he has put in quite a number of questionable performances. Whether it’s just a minor form blip, or the age catching up to him, he needs to be taken aside and talked to. He needs to be phased out. Slowly. He still has a lot to give, and his composure when in possession, and that burst of pace from the back is unparalleled. And, we haven’t yet talked about what he brings to the table in the dressing room. But, it’s time.

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Stegen was on point, and was very sharp. He was alert to the dangers and snuffed them out quite efficiently.



Alves was shaky at times and a little distracted. Vermaelen, was solid at the back, bar one or two occasions where he was caught flat-footed, but Stegen covered for him. Mathieu, once again, left a lot to be desired with his performance, but, he is NOT a LB suited for Barca, so it’s not on him.

Roberto showed up. Properly. His runs from the deep, when he brought the ball to attack, were sublime. Rakitic too did what was asked of him, and looked a little irked that Espanyol were still allowed to get away with their tackles. Turan’s performances are increasing in quality every other game. His understanding with Messi is also helping that cause.

Vidal, has a special set of attributes that are very different to what people are accustomed to seeing at Barca. His plays might not be ‘graceful’, and his touches a little too heavy. But, he’ll sprint across the ground in the 91st minute to try and cut the ball back to a striker. An engine, that does not tire out, and can play in any position on the right side.

Messi, although looked to be stuck in first gear, did not need to over-exert himself as he still made important plays tick. Munir, after a long while, put in a decent performance, and deserves credit for that first goal. It was setup nicely by Messi, but he did extremely well to compose himself and not pull the trigger hastily. Props to him.

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Barca have all the pieces necessary to make a ‘deep’ run in all the tournaments, and by the looks of it, the quality of these said pieces are also very high. When they can grind out such results with a heavily rotated squad, they can be confident they will do well when the ‘business end’ of the season comes up, and the starting XI is fresh.

Barca face Bilbao on the weekend, and seeing as how Iniesta, Busquets, Neymar, and Suarez are well rested, and ready to go, bar an off-form performance, Barca will be looking sharp going into the fixture.

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Espanyol:

Questionable display: Abraham (D): Was more interested in stopping the player, rather than the ball. He couldn’t read the play around him, was too late, and dove into tackles. Rinse and repeat.

Best: Caicedo (C+): Should have got some harsh punishment for his body check on Stegen, but, apart from that, he was the only player who troubled Stegen with his performance. He would have probably gotten a goal if not for the German GK.

Barca:

Questionable display: Mascherano (C): When he was required to defend, he looked a little lost. He was off-balance, and not sharp enough. He was good while trying to get the ball out of the back, but if it wasn’t for Stegen, he might have been responsible for a goal.

Best: Ter Stegen (A): Our MotM. Although Munir got two goals, he was not as influential in attack, as Stegen was for the defense. It’s not that Munir doesn’t warrant credit, but Stegen was just that good, with his tackles, saves, and handling. Did not put a foot wrong, and showed amazing composure.

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