An unexpected walkover

– Sagar Follow @Sagar_m10

Athletic Bilbao were always going to be one of the toughest opponents for Barca. They already faced them thrice in this season, and lost a trophy to them. They stood between Barca and a sextuple. Then they got hit 6 – 0 in this fixture.

A very strong Barca team (obviously) was fielded with the exception of Alves, as Vidal took his place at RB.

After, arguably, the greatest player of football held his 5th Ballon d’or for the home crowd to gaze upon, we were underway.

In less than 3 minutes, we witnessed Pique messing up, Bilbao missing an open goal, and on the other side, a red card and penalty being awarded. And, in just a matter of minutes, the tie became heavily skewed.

Make no mistake, it was a clear penalty, and it was a goal-scoring opportunity. But, the tackle in itself was not severe, or ‘dirty’. The rules were followed, and a red card was brandished, but, it was a harsh decision.

Messi stepped up and slotted it home with ease, and Barca were up a goal in the early minutes against a 10 man Bilbao.

Soon after that, Bilbao sat back and hit Barca on counters on one or two occasions, and tried to be efficient and effective, but it wasn’t meant to be. The shortage of that 11th man was a heavy weight upon them.

Barca’s midfield continued to stamp their authority on the match and it was pretty evident how the match was going to pan out. And it did, except for that last step in the process.

Finishing.

Barca continued to skewer their chances, and it did not look pretty. But, it’s true that if you continued to create chances, more often than not, you hit them. Suarez put Neymar through on goal, and this time around, he made no mistake as he dinked it over the GK for Barca’s second. HT.

The second half saw Turan replacing Messi. Uh-oh. Was it just to rest Messi? Or was something afoot? Turns out he has a slight thigh discomfort, and was taken out as a precaution. Not the kind of news Barca was looking for with Suarez possibly missing the midweek Copa game. This certainly makes it tough for Barca.

Barca soon started switching between a 4-4-2 and a 4-3-3 formation as Turan kept switching between a RW and RM, and it paid off. Within minutes of the second half Barca were up 3-0, courtesy of Suarez. Who went on to score a hat-trick.

Neymar on the other hand, might not have been picking up the ball from the back of the net, but his runs and dribbles down the left…left defenders sitting on the ground. Seems like Neymar watches Messi’s Bayern run on repeat. His run to set up Rakitic, for Barca’s 4th, was simply stupendous.

FT 6-0.

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The midfield.





For all the ‘MSN create and finish. Barca MF gets bypassed nowadays” statements, it has changed considerably from last season. The midfield is playing a crucial role this season. As is evident in the many fixtures in the recent past, Barca have relied on Busquets, and Iniesta to provide for the front 3. And occasionally when Messi is the provider, he does so from the deep. From the midfield. This season, the midfield is being relied upon, and they have NOT disappointed. Busquets has continued his amazing form, and continues to be the world’s most under-rated player. I will not get into his positional and reading capabilities as it’s been discussed n-number of times. Iniesta and his quick, happy feet continue to dance around the opposition and continues to bedazzle them. Rakitic on the other hand is that box-to-box workhorse who provides solidity and ruggedness to the midfield. Then there is Turan. He is a combination of creativity and directness, and pushes wide, makes runs, and offers himself as that 4th forward. If Rafinha wants to improve and mold himself, he should look to Turan.

For all the ‘MSN create and finish. Barca MF gets bypassed nowadays” statements, it has changed considerably from last season. The midfield is playing a crucial role this season. As is evident in the many fixtures in the recent past, Barca have relied on Busquets, and Iniesta to provide for the front 3. And occasionally when Messi is the provider, he does so from the deep. From the midfield. This season, the midfield is being relied upon, and they have NOT disappointed. Busquets has continued his amazing form, and continues to be the world’s most under-rated player. I will not get into his positional and reading capabilities as it’s been discussed n-number of times. Iniesta and his quick, happy feet continue to dance around the opposition and continues to bedazzle them. Rakitic on the other hand is that box-to-box workhorse who provides solidity and ruggedness to the midfield. Then there is Turan. He is a combination of creativity and directness, and pushes wide, makes runs, and offers himself as that 4th forward. If Rafinha wants to improve and mold himself, he should look to Turan.



The right side.

Vidal-Messi. Of course, we weren’t expecting an Alves-Messi type of link-up. That is a rarity, and something that is almost impossible to replicate. But, the fact that Vidal-Messi link-up needs work is obvious. Vidal seems to make decisions that Messi is not used to seeing in a RB, and Vidal is not used to Messi’s quick-thinking. But, they are well on their way to bridging that gap quickly, as was evident on certain occasions. Vidal was pretty solid while going up front, and made sure to keep the play moving, but he looked to shy away when on the defensive. Maybe it’s because he is not as used to the position, but he looked to keep his distance and cover his man, rather than closing him down. Just nitpicking, but that’s an area he might have to work on.

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Pique, apart from the early screw up, looked sturdy and put in a good performance at the back. He was solid in air, and did not back down. Alba was Alba. Using his pace to attack, defend, and be a nuisance to the opposition. Unfortunately he was subbed off with a hamstring discomfort, and with further tests pending, it looks like he might not be available this week, which is a big blow to Barca.

Roberto was used as LB after that. It was against a 10-man team that was not attacking, but the fact that he can be deployed anywhere on the field is just mind-boggling. I’m not going to name position where he has played, as it’s longer than the list of positions he has not played. Which reads CB and GK.

Roberto was used as LB after that. It was against a 10-man team that was not attacking, but the fact that he can be deployed anywhere on the field is just mind-boggling. I’m not going to name position where he has played, as it’s longer than the list of positions he has not played. Which reads CB and GK. It’s criminal how under-rated this player is. Rakitic, and Turan are finally offering what Barca lacked in a while. Sturdiness in the midfield. They might not have Iniesta’s or Xavi’s grace, but they are effective, direct, and make it tick. Turan’s long-ball assist to Suarez is one example.

Suarez answered his critics (me). Yes, he was off form for a while (3 matches), and he looked rugged still, in the beginning of the match. But, as the match progressed it was quite evident that he had had enough of his ‘slump’, and proceeded to score a hat-trick. Messi was making Bilbao pay for their mistake early on. Helped create a lot of chances. It’s easy to see why Neymar was called the ‘youtube sensation’. One can make a decent-length video of his highlights from just one match. Stunning, and beautiful. That’s his game.

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Barca were let off easy this time. One can only speculate what would have happened if that red card hadn’t played a part, but, it would not have been this easy. This was a mixed baggage for Barca. They might have gotten off easy, but they might also find themselves without Messi, Suarez, and Alba, come Wednesday, against Bilbao, who are probably looking to right their mistakes, and for ‘revenge’.



This was match has a scoreline that does not reflect the ability of the opposition, but, a mistake (as harsh as it was, it was still a mistake) cost them dearly.

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Bilbao:

Questionable display: Iraizoz (D-): It was a harsh red. But, it was a stupid move to begin with. Again and again, any move that leaves your team a man down, is not an intelligent decision. Also, it was as early as the 3rd minute. Bilbao’s chances went plummeting after that.

Best: De Marcos (B-): He kept trying. Didn’t get many chances, but when he did, he tried to make them count. He failed, but he did make Barca’s defense sweat once in a while. His pace made him a constant threat, and he was always just one pass away from a clear chance.

Barca:

Questionable display: No one: Not that everyone had a perfect game. There were mistakes. Pique, Mascherano, and even Vidal. They all made mistakes, and they might have been crucial, but in hindsight, they were not detrimental.

Best: Suarez (A+): Hat-trick. Our MotM. He started slow, and was at fault for some heavy touches, but he picked his game up and ran with it. His composure infront of goal is astonishing, and his one-touch plays, when pulled off, are unstoppable. Neymar gave him a close competition for the MotM, but he got a hat-trick, that was not a result of only his team-mates’ creativity.

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