 |
| Leo Messi |
Barça is packed in LaLiga with Messi as top scorer: 21 goals. That nightmare of Carranza in December has become a fantasy after overflowing Huesca. With the bottom down, the leadership is no longer an impossible goal because with 11 days to go to finish the championship, the Barcelona team is four points behind Atlético. He has not lost since December, when he was stunned in Cádiz, and has 11 victories in 12 games, undefeated in 2021. Although the trajectory invites optimism, Koeman speaks like Simeone, not even because of the closeness of the two teams, and fights the delusions of greatness with an exercise in realism. “You have to go game by game; today the sun rises and tomorrow it may rain ”, says the Barcelona coach.
It is not surprising therefore that Koeman had the same
line-up against Huesca as against PSG. Perhaps it was the best way not to
detract from the last of LaLiga. It is also an unequivocal way of proclaiming
that he has no doubts when the decisive phase of the season begins, which also
includes a Cup final. The Camp Nou game, however, had nothing to do with the
one in the Parc des Princes. The Catalans played without tension and also
without any hurry, little demanded by the boys of Pacheta, who reinforced their
containment system with Doumbia in Seoane's position. Barça's sufficiency was
endorsed when Messi contacted the ball after receiving from Busquets, enabled
by Mingueza's anticipation.
Messi's play was precious from the beginning to the end,
for the fan and the viewer to recreate, for the control-oriented to avoid
Pulido, for the driving with which he eliminated Siovas, and for the screw shot
that was impossible for Álvaro. The ball entered the right-hand corner and hit
the crossbar twice, as if it were ringing, to celebrate Rosario's 20th goal - a
figure he has reached for the 13th consecutive season - the day that equaled
Xavi is the player with the most games played with the Zamarra. Blaugrana: 767.
The definition was so poetic that it provoked the envy of Griezmann, sterile in
In the last 9 games: the Frenchman's shot from outside the area was equally
beautiful and also came in from the right angle of Huesca's goal.
A penalty without VAR
The goals embellished a relaxing game for Barça. Although
there was no depth, the Catalans comfortably governed the game with the
deployment of De Jong and aimed well at Álvaro - there was a shot at the
crossbar by Jordi Alba. Barça's placidity ended when the first half was over
and the referee whistled a surprising penalty from Ter Stegen to Rafa Mir. The
goalkeeper stretched out his hand while the leather left the field and the
referee interpreted that he contacted the Huesca striker. Rafa Mir himself
transformed the shot from eleven meters to the anger of Koeman, the protests of
Messi, and the silence of the VAR. The action forced Barça to take extreme
defensive vigilance, previously neglected in a clear arrival by Maffeo, only
against Ter Stegen.
The penalty for a moment conditioned the game and also
the referee in an easy match to whistle until 2-1. The initial script, however,
was recovered very soon, at the exit of a corner thrown short, when Messi
crossed and Mingueza headed in the small area, poorly defended by the rear of
Huesca, a team that allowed Barça to play and regulate. The Catalans
surrendered to a not very serious round trip and that consequently led to some
frank arrival of Huesca and the auctions of the omnipresent Rafa Mir, who
forgave the 3-2. There was no rigor in Barcelona football, the full-backs hardly
participated and neither did the ambush Dembélé unbalance.
Post a Comment