Luis Suarez produced an astounding half-volley to earn La Liga champions Barcelona an unforgettable 4-4 draw and break the hearts of relegation-threatened Villarreal.
Lionel Messi, Ivan Rakitic and Gerard Pique all started from the bench as the holders looked to manage a frantic fixture list. Head coach Ernesto Valverde’s calculated gamble appeared to have paid off when Brazilian winger Malcom teed up countryman Philippe Coutinho for a tap-in and then the former headed home to make it 2-0 by 16 minutes.
The Yellow Submarine, however, kept pouncing on the counter-attack against a bedraggled back line. Nigeria winger Samuel Chukwueze’s composed rebound and Cameroon striker Karl Toko Ekambi’s cheeky cross-shot made it 2-2 by 50 minutes, while ruthlessly dispatched one-on-ones from midfielder Vicente Iborra and replacement Carlos Bacca made it 4-2 with 10 minutes left.
A red card for centre-back Alvaro Gonzalez then handed Barca hope. Substitute Messi cut the deficit with a perfect free-kick that crashed in off the post during the 90th minute, with Uruguay hit man Suarez’s definitive final touch of an enthralling contest granting a share of the spoils.
Here are the talking points from Estadio de la Ceramica:
TOO MANY CHANGES?
As ever at Barca, the majority of attention falls on Messi.
The Argentina icon had to be rested at some point by head coach Ernesto Valverde. Especially with second-placed Atletico Madrid coming to town at the weekend and a Champions League quarter-final with Manchester United looming.
A phenomenon with 31 goals and 12 assists in 27 La Liga run-outs this term, before kick-off, would always be missed from the start. No question.
That he won, and splendidly converted, the 90th-minute free-kick that was essential to a rousing comeback eased pressure ahead of the Atleti test. Losses against Villarreal and the capital side would have shrunk the lead to an uncomfortable four points.
Yet, the 31-year-old’s absence from the XI, alone, cannot account for the mayhem that ensued as a six-match winning streak ended. That is a lazy conclusion.
Stand-in Malcom shone upon just a second La Liga start. He assisted fellow Brazilian attacker Philippe Coutinho after a searing run and smart cross, plus headed in the second.
Barca’s unravelling came through the disorder caused by centre-back Gerard Pique and centre midfielder Ivan Rakitic joining Messi on the bench.
Pique’s organisation and defensive nous was glaringly absent as ebullient Villarreal attackers Toko Ekambi, Chukwueze and Iborra wreaked havoc.
The deployment of an unfit and out-of-sorts Samuel Umtiti as the right centre-back, instead of his usual left, destroyed any balance. A chasm that the wily Santi Cazorla, from deep, calmly exploited – reminiscent of Yellow Submarine great Juan Roman Riquelme – with a delicate pass that sent substitute Bacca clear to apparently seal it.
Anchorman Sergio Busquets has looked diminished in 2018/19. This drop accelerated without the diligent Rakitic alongside him.
Barca’s colossal 68-per-cent possession meant little without the Croatia international’s usual thrust.
On Tuesday night, Pique and Rakitic’s enduring importance was underlined and reiterated.
6 - @FCBarcelona's Lionel Messi is the first player in the top five European leagues to score 6+ direct free-kick goals in consecutive seasons since at least 2006/07. Magic. pic.twitter.com/9tWU9PXhWA
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 2, 2019
YELLOW SUBMARINE KEEP SINKING
Another hammer blow for the Yellow Submarine – and could this one sink them?
Less than a week ago, 17th-placed Villarreal lost 3-2 from 2-0 ahead against fellow relegation rivals Celta Vigo.
They had been a rabble in the second half as the inspirational Iago Aspas wreaked havoc. This harmful collapse reawakened fears of the drop – plus, made the impending visit of champions Barca one to dread.
Villarreal should have folded in such disheartening circumstance. They instead exposed structural weakness in the Catalans’ set-up and squad like few others.
Chukwueze punished Spain left-back Jordi Alba for his adventure and lack of physical power, twisting him to breaking point. Iborra and sole striker Toko Ekambi toyed with Clement Lenglet and Umtiti.
Villarreal oozed belief. They looked like coherent, confident tittle challengers and Barca were cast as disjointed relegation fodder.
And yet head coach Javi Calleja is tasked, again, with picking deflated troops up from the floor.
Villarreal, clearly, have the talent within their ranks to be comfortably mid-table.
It is now a mental fight to lift crushed spirits from a punishing few days. Lose it and they will surrender their top-flight status.
#VillarrealBarça | 4-4 🚨 FULL-TIME | A great #Villarreal performance wasn't rewarded with three points after two @FCBarcelona goals late on. An incredible game. pic.twitter.com/ZUjCzKQyh2
— Villarreal CF English (@Eng_Villarreal) April 2, 2019
WHERE NOW FOR UMTITI?
A golden boy from 2017/18 has become the problem child of 2018/19 for Barca.
Umtiti’s enduring knee problem and fitful recovery appears to have diminished the talents of a once royal centre-back.
Speed, assuredness and control were previously bywords for the World Cup 2018 winner.
He’s now out of form, out of shape and will be back out of the XI for Atleti.
This was a disastrous ninth La Liga start of a season to forget. The most-worrying sight on an infamous night came when 32-year-old Bacca raced into a chasm at the heart of the Barca rearguard, effortlessly raced away from Umtiti and slotted in what looked to be the clincher.
A fit and mentally sharp Umtiti would not have allowed that indignity to occur.
Expect links to coveted Netherlands and Ajax centre-back Matthijs de Ligt to strengthen after this horror show.
Our winning spirit? ALWAYS
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 2, 2019
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