So much to praise Valverde for, but the maintained intensity is key. It was the type of game we ended up tying under lucho.
So far so good, regardless the overall performance. 3 points is what matter in the league. We're still unbeaten this season despite selling Neymar and having a jaded Suarez. In CL knockout stage, we might need an top form Suarez. Cant rely on Messi alone up front. If Suarez never find his true form again then I hope Paco can turn into someone like Pedro who scores against big team at knockout stage despite not being known for being a world class. Pedro proof that its not impossible.
But with a friend like Messi teeing him up to score like that he will break out of his rut eventually. AND/OR his knee really is screwed and I hope he has the cyst removed NOW, so he can hopefully get back to being the top 10 player in the world that we've seen in the past 2.5 seasons. We need him in March-May more than now (not that we don't have tough games coming up in La Liga).
Until we get back Dembele,This Dr Jekyll and Ms Hyde syndrome will continue. Barca as well know has too many box to box midfielders and few creative ones. So yesterday,we start with the transitional 442,a formation which is here to stay but the tweak was that we played a narrow diamond formation with two strikers ahead of messi in a pure ten role like Isco plays at Real Madrid with the width coming from the fullbacks. We started great and should have had 2 goals in the first ten minutes with amazing chances. But we didnt score and Sevilla started building well from the back,Barca felt Sevilla would stay back and hit from the wings but the best players for sevilla were the midfield trio of Nzonzi,Pizzaro and Banega. There wasn't much pressure from Paco and Suarez and this helped Sevilla to build and create dangerous chances from the back. Alba/Semedo did very well in holding their flank but Rakitic despite having a good game didnt help much in attack and often Suarez had to go wide to stretch the play which Paco didnt do,which is why he got substituted for Delufeu despite scoring 2 goals. Busquets/Pique/Umtiti were great as usual but got exposed a lot because our mdifield couldnt press the sevilla midfield well and as a result we didnt have much or any control and sevilla kept attakcing well until they got the goal,which they quite deserved. I am happy with the win but not at all with the performace,this performance was still better than the ones with Gomes playing. We need a replacement for Iniesta soon and Paulinho is a great impact substitute who can do what rakitic does much better than rakitic. I hope Dembele comes back since Suarez simply cant be the same on the wing as he is in the centre and today he had a horrendous performance. I would rather play Paco than Luis in the usual formation with delofeu.
Yeah and Luis needs a break. He should just chill.sit out leganes game which am sure he will and start against Valencia straight. No harm
He needs the knife, and heal from the cyst. He's physique kind of player so he needs to start thinking about resting also more.
He has played non stop for god knows how long and he is a crazy guy. With a wife like his and a house by the sea in casteldefels just put his head in the water and chill,that's what I will ask him to do if I was valverde