Things learned as Lionel Messi takes back seat with Barcelona's support act taking centre stage

Andy West 21:27 16/09/2017
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  • Paulinho scored his first Barcelona goal six minutes from time as the Catalan giants came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Getafe on Saturday and open up a seven-point lead over Real Madrid.

    Here are three things we learned from the clash…

    BACK-UPS BARE THEIR TEETH

    The last three Barcelona victories were all about Lionel Messi, but the Argentine took a back seat on this occasion as squad players Denis Suarez and Paulinho starred by coming off the bench to score the winning goals.

    This kind of contribution from fringe performers is exactly what Barca need. Their title challenge fell away last season because their results dipped whenever members of the strongest eleven were absent, with a huge gulf in productivity between the star players and everyone else which badly set Barca apart from the depth enjoyed by champions Real Madrid.

    So manager Ernesto Valverde will be particularly pleased that his bench players made such an impact, and the outstanding winner by Paulinho in particular showed exactly why he has been signed to inject some power into the midfield, with the Brazilian offering a very different set of skills to the rest of the squad.

    Denis Suarez celebrates his stunning equaliser

    Denis Suarez celebrates his stunning equaliser

    SUAREZ STRUGGLING FOR FORM AND FITNESS

    Luis was easily the third-best Suarez on display, finding himself outshone by goalscoring teammate Denis and Getafe right-back Damian.

    Nearly everything is going wrong at the moment for Barca’s number nine, who has produced probably his worst three consecutive performances in a Blaugrana shirt in the last week against Espanyol, Juventus and now Getafe.

    His first touch was poor, his passing was wayward, his timing of runs was off, and he didn’t manage a single shot on goal. No doubt he will come good again soon, and Barca desperately need that to happen because right now their attack is being seriously blunted by Suarez’s poor form.

    It could well be that Suarez is struggling for fitness, having rushed back from injury to play for Uruguay earlier this month and continuing to play without pause ever since. A rest in the upcoming midweek meeting with Eibar could be in order.

    Luis Suarez was again in poor form against Getafe

    Luis Suarez was again in poor form against Getafe

    DEMBELE DOUBTS PERSIST

    Suarez wasn’t the only Barca forward who failed to shine at Getafe, with Ousmane Dembele again looking uncomfortable and ineffective in the 25 minutes he spent on the pitch before suffering a hamstring injury.

    The French winger made little impact and was easily contained by home team left-back Vitorino Antunes, who must have been wondering where on earth the €147million transfer fee came from.

    Dembele looked unsure of how he should fit into the Barca team, not knowing whether he should play safe or take risks, and contributed no shots or crosses before suffering his injury.

    Now it looks likely that he faces three or four weeks on the sidelines, giving Saturday’s substitute Gerard Deulofeu an extended chance to impress. Hopefully it will also give Dembele the chance to realise that he really is a Barcelona player, and work out how he can contribute to this team.

    Ousmane Dembele trudges off with a hamstring injury

    Ousmane Dembele trudges off with a hamstring injury

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