FC Barcelona’s 6-1 thumping of Celta Vigo over the weekend was emphatic. Ruthless and a warning to Barca’s primera liga title rivals…..they’re not relinquishing it soon.
But the most telling was Messi and Suarez play-up from the 6-yard. We all know it was a Johan Cryuff trick pulled off in the 80’s which Henry and Pires failed to execute against Manchester City for Arsenal a while back. But that’s beside the point. MSN are on fire. Very confident. And that incident showed they’re having fun. And being lethal while at it.
It doesn’t get any scarier than when you find out Messi and Suarez have given up chances to run cricket scores just to try and get Neymar on the score sheet. He seems to have lost his scoring boots ever since Messi came back from injury but he’s more than doing his fair share of dragging defenses and keeping them occupied, allowing Messi and Suarez free-runs to goal.
On current form they’re probably the best trio in world football since the dutch triangle at AC Milan in the late 80’s and early 90’s. And in Luis Suarez they’ve a player with the temperament of Gheorghe Hagi, Hristo Stochkov and Romario but with a better ability.
Their form and ability to squeeze out goals is a big worry for opponents.
And on current form they seem on course to defend the UCL, with their most formidable opponents facing off in one tie (Bayern-Juve). The signs will be more ominous if Juve knock Bayern out because the Bavarian club, injuries notwithstanding, are the best equipped club to try and stop Luis Enrique’s juggernaut from doing what the club has never done – defend the Champions League/European cup.
And with the way Real Madrid and Atletico are struggling to keep up, and Madrid due a visit to the Camp Nou, the league title is almost as good as sealed.
So you’d think from now on the effort will be channelled onto European club football’s biggest prize. And with the form of the front 3, it would be unwise to bet against Barca winning the treble. Only that they have that huge scepter hanging above their heads. For some strange reason something has always gone wrong defending the UCL for teams that have looked like they could defend it. Loss of form, serious injuries at the wrong time, a mountain eruption forcing Pep’s troops to take a bus journey to Milan etc
I’m not saying they’re CL favourites, but they’ll take some stopping. A monumental performance from whichever club knocks them out is required.
But that club must have the armour to stop MSN, which at the current moment no club has. The one that seems to have the armour is badly creaking at the back and that’s Pep’s Bayern. Only Juve is near equipped. But like I pointed out, one of them is taking the other out….so Barca won’t have to deal with both – it makes life easier.
