Barcelona’s ageing superstars are doing well at the business end of the season
The golden generation of Barcelona players have an average age of over 30, and the club had been worrying about it for some time now. Recent signings show that the club is trying to shape up the first-team to brace the future, with players like Ousmane Dembélé.
But as the season reaches its business end, Barça’s ageing stars are stepping up. The old guard is making an assertive statement that they’ve still got it. If Barça do manage to win the treble, it will be because of their bloom at the end of the season.
Gerard Piqué was the first player to raise his level of performance with a inspired performance in Barça’s second consecutive Clásico win. In the 1-0 victory against Real Madrid in the La Liga, he was one of the best players on the pitch as he quelled Los Merengues’ attacking threat.
Since that game, he has been consistently outstanding. Piqué found the back of the net in two successive matches, and picked up an assist in the 4-1 drubbing of Real Betis. Piqué may have even surpassed the legacy of Carles Puyol with this string of performances.
Sergio Busquets has also broken into a run of good form. The Spain international produced his best performance of the season in the 5-1 thrashing of Lyon, as he assisted Lionel Messi’s goal. His solidarity in midfield has helped the defence signifcantly.
31-year old Chilean box-to-box midfielder Arturo Vidal has started to compete for a first-team spot, with his recent displays. His exquisite performance in the 3-1 win over Rayo Vallecano has made a good case for a starting spot.
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Vidal was also very good against Real Betis, as he has started to outperform Ivan Rakitić. But the player who has really bounced back is Luis Suárez. ‘El Pistolero’ had been in decline due to his age, but has really picked up his from recently.
Suárez has been superb ever since he got on the scoresheet in the 4-2 victory against Sevilla, after a 5-match barren run. His match-winning brace against Real Madrid got Barça through to the Copa del Rey final, while he has been magnificent in back-to-back games against Lyon and Betis.
But most importantly, Lionel Messi has started to prove that he is getting better with age. The Argentine maestro had been struggling with fitness issues for a few games, and yet did not want to get relegated to the bench.
But Messi has started off on a run of unstoppable goalscoring, starting with his hat-trick against Sevilla, which was accompanied by an assist for Suárez. Since that away game against Los Nervionsenses, the Argentina international has scored 6 goals and provided 3 assists.
This group of players have the ability to deliver the treble, and their recent performances show that it is not yet time for the new generation of players to take over. The golden generation is not dead. Rather, it is shining brighter than ever at the right time for Barça.