After suffering a thrilling 4-3 loss against Real Betis at the Camp Nou in November, Barcelona were looking for revenge as the sides met again at the Benito Villamarin on Sunday night.
A scintillating hat-trick from Lionel Messi made sure the league leaders grabbed all three points, gaining a thumping 4-1 victory with a thrilling attacking display.
And after a performance like that, there’s only one man who can kick off our three talking points from the game.
MESSI OUTDOES HIMSELF
Lionel Messi
Every time you think that Lionel Messi can’t possibly get any better, he somehow finds a way of getting better. And on this outing, he delivered such an iconic performance that, by the end, even Real Betis fans could only stand up and applaud.
Many aspects of his game were sensational, but let’s just focus on the goals. The first was a trademark free-kick, arrowed into the top left corner with such precision and ferocity that Betis keeper Pau Lopez couldn’t get a hand on the ball despite diving the right way at full stretch.
His second goal, just before half-time, owed a huge debt of gratitude to Luis Suarez, who ran to the edge of the box before delivering a magical assist – a no-look angled back-heel which fell perfectly into the path of Messi, who didn’t even need to break stride or take a touch to control before slotting past the onrushing Lopez.
But it was Messi’s third goal which will really be remembered, staking a strong case for inclusion among the list of his greatest ever. Receiving a squared pass from Ivan Rakitic on the edge of the area, Messi conjured a delicate first-time chip, caressing the ball with an incredibly deft touch and imparting more spin than a Shane Warne leg-break to send it drifting gently over the helpless Lopez – who stands 6 feet 2 inches tall – before dipping down and grazing the underside of the crossbar on its way in.
It was a special, special goal, and could only have been scored by one player.
TITLE ALREADY WON
These could be the scenes once more come May
Following Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 loss at Athletic Bilbao the day before, Barca had the chance to move into a surely unassailable 10-point lead at the top of the table. And they took that chance eagerly, almost certainly sentencing the title race even though two months of the season are still remaining.
With ten games to play, Atletico would have to win every single remaining game and still hope that Barca drop at least ten points – either five draws, or three defeats and a draw. As things stand, both of those scenarios are highly unlikely, with Atletico currently in freefall after a dreadful week which saw them lose at Juventus and Athletic by a combined 5-0 scoreline.
The only chance, if there is any, of keeping the title race alive is for Atletico to win at the Camp Nou on the first Saturday in April, but even that outcome probably wouldn’t be enough. And the simple truth is that Barca have been, by a long way, the best and most consistent team in La Liga again this season. They will be worthy champions, and the medals might as well be handed out now.
SUAREZ INJURY SPARKS MAJOR CONCERN
Luis Suarez
Despite gaining revenge over Betis and moving ten points clear with another exhibition of Messi madness, there was one major negative for Barca at the end of the game as Suarez limped off with a right ankle injury which will require further tests on Monday to assess the extent of the damage.
Although Messi will rightly command the headlines, the impact of Suarez cannot be overlooked. The Uruguayan delivered a complete centre-forward’s performance, leading the line with great link-up play, pressing the Betis defence with great intensity, creating space for others with clever movement and always posing a serious goal threat.
True, he missed a couple of presentable chances with weak shots, but Suarez more than compensated for those misses with his general all-round play and specifically with two wonderful moments: delivering the fabulous assist for Messi’s second and then dribbling past three defenders and finishing clinically for a memorable goal of his own.
Barca would be nowhere near as effective without him, especially considering the lack of alternatives within the squad. Messi thrives on playing alongside his great friend, and will be doing exactly the same as Barca fans everywhere on Monday: crossing all his fingers and toes that the injury sustained by Suarez on Sunday night is not serious.
