Extraordinary Messi covers mediocre Barca!
With the clock ticking down to the 87th minute and Sevilla leading 2-0, everyone thought Barca would go home empty-handed. But no, the Catalan giants still managed to come away with a point, thanks to Lionel Messi.
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| Messi shone brightly against Sevilla last night. |
On the trip to Andalusia, coach Ernesto Valverde deliberately left Messi on the bench for health reasons. And that was also the moment Barca fans saw the true face of their beloved team. Without Messi, the Catalan giant revealed its true form as a mediocre team, especially in the attack front, despite having a series of quality stars such as Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele or Philippe Coutinho.
With a weak attack and defense, it was no surprise that Barca were twice punctured by Sevilla thanks to goals from Franco Vazquez and Luis Muriel. The home team at Sanchez Pizjuan could have had a real walk if their strikers had been more careful with their final shots. Things only changed for Barca in the 58th minute, when "superman" Messi was brought on to replace Dembele.
The presence of the 30-year-old striker helped Barca's attacks become more fluid, as well as creating the inherent danger. Suarez's goal to reduce the score in the 88th minute came as an inevitable consequence, after so many tireless efforts, and then exactly 1 minute later, Messi played the role of hero with a perfect shot to bring a precious 2-2 draw for Barca.
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Messi once again rescued Barca. |
Remember, in the 2017/18 season, Messi only had 4 substitute matches (against Sevilla, Espanyol in La Liga; Juventus, Sporting Lisbon in Champions League). That means Messi has to work hard all the time and has very little time to rest and recuperate. He is the one who has to lead Barca, and now that ship is on the right track.
Notably, up to this point in La Liga 2017/18, Barca has scored 76 goals, and half of them have Messi's mark (26 goals, 12 assists). That's not to mention the goals that also come thanks to the kicks from the striker wearing the number 10 shirt. Clearly, Barca is living on Messi's every breath. Or in other words, an extraordinary Messi is helping Barca become less... mediocre.
