Mute but decisive: despite his decisive pass for Arturo Vidal, Lionel Messi did not find the net on Saturday in Valladolid for the 36th day of Liga, but FC Barcelona still won 1-0 and returns to a point of the leader Real Madrid.
Is it the fatigue of an end of the season tightened under the Spanish heatwave? The weariness of an almost lost crown? With only one goal in the last seven games (on a penalty against Atlético Madrid), Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi dropped his goal stats but continued to shine in the game of a smuggler on Saturday to allow Barça to hold on to the little hope that remains for him to keep his La Liga title.
Ferryman costume
With his decisive pass judiciously stung in the area for the goal on a post coming back from Arturo Vidal (15th), the “Pulga” (chip, in Spanish) allowed Barça to temporarily return to a point of the sworn enemy and leader Real Madrid, which faces Granada on Monday (8 p.m. GMT) for the 36th day of Liga.
An assistance that allows the sixfold Ballon d’Or (22 goals, 20 assists in La Liga this season) to reach new records.
Messi became the first player to reach 20 assists in La Liga since Xavi (20) in 2008-2009. The Argentinian, involved in 24 of Barça’s last 31 goals, is also the second player to make a season with at least 20 goals and 20 assists in the five major European championships in the 21st century, with Thierry Henry (Arsenal) in 2002 -2003.
Despite his seven assists in the last 7 games, Leo Messi has not put on his striker-captain-savior costume for several weeks. Friday, the Argentine seemed borrowed, tired, and still as imprecise as in his last outings in front of the goal. A characteristic that does not resemble him.
Save furniture
In the wake of a Messi who sees the dream of a new coronation in Liga moving away, Barça was once again very shy against the 14th of the Spanish championship of a Hatem Ben Arfa left at rest this Saturday .
After a first controlled period, the Catalans got little stuck in a false rhythm, and even almost got caught by the two crossed heads of Enes Unal (60th, 66th), who would have scored without two big stops by Marc-André ter Stegen.
The tactical choices of Quique Setién, who wanted to concretize the result after the opening of the score, did not help to develop the good game found at Villarreal (4-1). And neither Antoine Griezmann, who played the first 45 minutes, nor Luis Suarez, who replaced the French world champion for the last 45, could not help their captain Messi.
Without the way, Barça saves the furniture: with this success in Valladolid, the rival Real will not be able to be champion from Monday against Granada. We will therefore have to wait for the results of the multiplexes for the 37th and 38th days, Thursday and Sunday (19:00 GMT), to know the name of the 2019-2020 Spanish champion, after a final sprint could not be more tight.
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