For the purist, this wasn't a match to remember, but these are the kind of victories that will decide a season. And Barcelona hopes this is one of those!
Once again, Barcelona looked jagged, lagged and all other things and to make matters worse, at their own home. An extremely scrappy goal from the much-maligned Rakitic was needed for Barcelona to secure three vital points and move back to the top of the table. Now we need to wait to find out how many days that promotion lasts for?
Lionel Messi once again was instrumental in the goal. It was his pass which resulted in the opening which Rakitic converted. But to be honest, I doubt it was a pass from Messi. It was a brilliant turn from Messi which got converted into an assist, all thanks to Rakitic who unlike his fellow teammates made the run into the box!
Another Below Par performance makes Barcelona Fans Worried
There was not much of a difference from what we did in attack from the last match. Maybe one can say, we looked much more organized in defense throughout, compared to the last match. But in attack we remained clueless, trying to attack through the center, an area Athletic managed to get crowded all the time.
Once again Setién went with a 4-3-3 formation. We had Griezmann, Messi, and Saurez as a front trio. In midfield the soon to be sold Arthur paired with Vidal and Busquets. The defense had Alba, Pique, Lenglet, and Semedo in front of Ter Stegan.
The positives were that Ter Stegan had to make only one good save to keep the clean sheet. The defense once again looked organized and also was able to re-organize quickly at times when they were stretched.
The negatives have to be the midfield, which contributed very little in controlling or creating chances. Once again everything moved through the center and that was with Messi dropping to re-organize. Setién's post-match comments clearly indicated his growing concern, but to an extent, he was responsible for this state. His insistence on 4-3-3 with Vidal in midfield is baffling, as it does not suit the player, nor Messi.
In the end, we were able to secure three vital points. But if things continue the way they are, we could be in trouble. The youngsters when they came in was able to make much more impact and that maybe something Setién should try to harness in upcoming matches.
All About FC Barcelona
AllAboutFCBarcelona.com is a Blog dedicated to the Most prestigous Club in the world, FC Barcelona by an ardent fan. Here I discuss about the Latest happening surrounding our Club and present my Views about the same.
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