Extraordinary Messi covers mediocre Barca!
When the clock struck 87 minutes and Sevilla were leading 2-0, everyone thought Barca would have to go home empty-handed. But no, the Catalan giants still came 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 when Barca fans saw the true face of their beloved team. Without Messi, the Catalan giant revealed itself as a mediocre team, especially in attack, despite having a series of quality stars such as Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho.
With a weak attack and poor 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 sent onto the field 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 an exemplary shot that brought a precious 2-2 draw for Barca.
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Messi once again saves Barca. |
Remember, in the 2017/18 season, Messi only had 4 substitute appearances (against Sevilla, Espanyol in La Liga; Juventus, Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League). That means Messi has to work hard all the time and has very little time to rest and recuperate. He alone has the mission of steering Barca, and now that ship is heading in the right direction.
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). 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.
