September Month in review for Barcelona
By Erik Eckert
Let’s take a look back at all the results and news from the month of September.
Barcelona’s second full month of the season is now in the books. Now that September is over, let’s review each match and recap all the news from the month of September.
Week of September 1st-7th
There were no matches this week for Barcelona due to the international break. We saw the likes of Neymar, Luis Suárez, and Javier Mascherano play for their respective national teams. Some notables include Sergi Roberto making an impact for Spain and Lionel Messi rescuing three points for Barça despite dealing with a groin injury.
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Week of September 8th-14th
Barcelona’s first game after the international break was one to forget. A shocking performance from the team saw them lose 2-1 to Alavés at the Camp Nou. Luis Enrique made a number of rotations, and they all backfired on him. The Marc Andre Ter Stegen injury and his absence was notable. However, some positives were the return of Neymar for the first time this season and the return of Iniesta from a knee injury.
Barcelona quickly turned things around with their most impressive win of the season: A 7-0 thrashing of Celtic in the Champions League at the Camp Nou. A Lionel Messi hat trick, 4 assists from Neymar, and a golazo from Iniesta propelled Barça to this lopsided victory. We saw Ter Stegen return to the squad after missing the previous match.
Week of September 15th- 21st
A return to La Liga action was quick around the corner: this time, away vs Leganes. Luis Enrique used a back three due to the absence of Sergio Busquets in the midfield. Despite playing in an unfamiliar formation, Barcelona cruised to a 5-1 victory away from home.
Next, the most salivating match up of the season: Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid at the Camp Nou. The pre-match excitement was soon gone with Samuel Umtiti being announced as unavailable due to a knee injury. Despite all of Barcelona’s chances, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. While Atléti were excellent, you wouldn’t be fooling yourself if you thought Barcelona should have won this match. However, Barcelona should be happy with a point against one of the best teams in Europe. During the match, Lionel Messi reaggravated his groin injury and had to leave the match early.
Week of September 22nd-28th
The following La LIga match saw Barcelona take care of business away against Sporting Gijon with a 5-0 win. Lucho was a bit more cautious with his rotations, leaving in Piqué and Roberto while leaving out Alba, Mascherano, Rakitic, and Iniesta. Despite a number of key players not involved, Barcelona were able to cruise to a victory.
The next matchup in the Champions League was away against Borussia Monchengladbach. The hosts jumped out to a deserving lead after Barca’s dismal first half. However, Barça soon established a rhythm, and managed to escape with a 2-1 victory. The build up to the match was dominated by the return of Ter Stegen against his childhood club.
What does October look like for Barcelona? Here’s the full schedule for the month (Home matches will be marked as H, while away games will have an A)
10/2 – Celta Vigo (A) – La Liga
INTERNATIONAL BREAK
10/15 – Deportivo La Coruña (H) – La Liga
10/19 – Manchester City (H) – UCL
10/22 – Valencia (A) – La Liga
10/29 – Granada (H) – La Liga