A promising performance from the Catalans, but defensive issues took away the win at the end.
Don Iniesta
The heart of Barcelona is back, and it was obvious for all to see. The uplift in the atmosphere around the stadium when he came on was huge. This translated on to the field as well with some wonderful play which had Iniesta at the heart of it. This was not the result we were looking for, but the return of the little magician could be a pivotal moment in Barcelona’s season. He seems to bring balance to the team both offensively and defensively.
The Catalans look a lot more fluid up front with him as well due to his beautiful link-up play and excellent decision-making. The exquisite pass he fired through, with precision, to Messi deserved a goal, and was good enough to secure the points in a game of such magnitude. However, it wasn’t to be, but it still serves as a tasty reminder of what the Don is capable of. His return takes some of the creative load off of Lionel Messi. It also opens up a creative overload on the left hand side between Iniesta and Neymar which few teams will be able to cope with.
Busquets
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Another promising aspect of the game for Barça was Busquets’ performance. For the majority of this season, his performances have been sub-par. This match was different, though, because Busquets was excellent throughout. He was the second best player on the pitch behind Luka Modrić. In terms of defence, he served as an excellent screen in front of the defence, and constantly sniffed out danger. When attacking, he was an effective pivot in the transition down the pitch, and when they were camped in Real’s half trying to break them down. It was a performance from the Busquets of old which we are used to. The return of Iniesta should take some of the pressure off him as well. This means the midfield should be a lot more influential and solid from now on which leads in to the last theme.
Lack of Solidity
Conceding at the end seemed like an inevitability. The inability to kill the game didn’t help because Messi and Neymar both should have scored. However, Barcelona aren’t convincing defensively, and always seem like they are going to concede. This is their main issue going forwards because you would back them to score against any opponent. They can’t afford to simply outscore their opponents each time. Sometimes they need to grind out results in important games. As mentioned above, the return of Iniesta and the resurgence of Busquets may be the solution. However, both were on the pitch when they conceded.
Sergio Ramos is always a danger from set-pieces, so that makes the defending even sloppier. Ensuring him and Cristiano Ronaldo are effectively marked should be number one priority, but they weren’t and Barcelona paid for it. These little mistakes need to be worked on, and taken out of their game if they want to have a successful season.