Barcelona ended a run of four league games without victory by overpowering Sevilla in a 4-2 thriller at the Camp Nou, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface of a highly eventful encounter.
In particular, Barca’s great night was tempered by injury to a key player who will now be out of action for nearly a month…a certain Lionel Messi.
Let’s review all the action here.
Barca take a step forward…with reservations
After stuttering through a run of four league games without a win, this victory was exactly Barca needed and the early goal for Philippe Coutinho – beautifully curled into the top corner after a precise pass from Messi – went a long way towards settling Camp Nou nerves.
Messi then netted a superb second to establish some breathing room, and although he soon departed the scene through injury – more of which later – Barca continued to create chances at a rapid rate and were good value for the four goals they registered on the night.
However, this was far from a perfect performance and the fact that goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was widely hailed as man of the match shows just how many chances Sevilla created. Barca’s defensive structure looked far from secure, especially with a lack of pace in midfield and the failure of Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho to track back regularly leaving the defence under pressure. So Barca are better but not perfect, and the feeling lingers that if they want to secure serious silverware this season they will have to become a tighter overall unit.
Messi to miss El Clasico
Other than Barca returning to the top of the table, by far the biggest story to emerge from this contest was an injury to Messi which could rule the inspirational captain out of next weekend’s Clasico.
Having already registered one dazzling goal and one sublime assist, Messi was injured in a hefty collision with Franco Vazquez midway through the first half. Clutching his right arm around the elbow, he was clearly in great pain as he writhed on the turf and after a prolonged period of treatment it became apparent he would not be able to continue.
Soon after the game it was confirmed that Messi will be out for three weeks with a fracture, meaning he will not play in next weekend’s Clasico which could see Barca move seven points clear of Real Madrid. He is also set to be absent for two Champions League games against Inter Milan, league games against Rayo Vallecano and Real Betis, probably returning for a league trip to Atletico Madrid after the next international break.
Dembele’s time to shine
Messi’s injury could provide an opportunity for Ousmane Dembele to strengthen his position within the Camp Nou pecking order, and the Frenchman provided both sides of the argument after replacing his skipper on this occasion.
Slotting straight into the vacant space on the right wing, Dembele immediately showed his threat by embarking upon a mazy dribble, using his pace and skill to leave defenders for dead, but concluded the run by failing to deliver a meaningful ball into the box.
Later in the first half he did something similar, leaving Luis Suarez fuming by dragging a weak shot across the face of goal when he could have crossed. In the second half he was largely disappointing, regularly losing possession by dithering lazily on the ball and making poor decisions. On the whole, it’s clear that Dembele possesses immense talent but still needs to convince that he can deliver consistent end product.
Considering those doubts, Barca boss Ernesto Valverde could take a different option to replace Messi if necessary, with Munir El-Haddadi and Sergi Roberto – who deputised for Messi in a previous Clasico three years ago – both in the running. Rafinha and Arturo Vidal could also be considered, and there could even be an opportunity for previously.
