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Lionel Messi continues to taper over cracks at Barcelona

By Ernesto Hernandez

BARCELONA, SPAIN - November 9: Lionel Messi #10 of Barcelona celebrates after scoring his third goal of the match from a free kick during the Barcelona V Celta Vigo, La Liga regular season match at Estadio Camp Nou on November 9th 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - November 9: Lionel Messi #10 of Barcelona celebrates after scoring his third goal of the match from a free kick during the Barcelona V Celta Vigo, La Liga regular season match at Estadio Camp Nou on November 9th 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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Lionel Messi continues to save Barcelona’s blemishes in win against Celta Vigo.

Lionel Messi scored two free-kick goals and a penalty to lead Barcelona past Celta Vigo despite another poor team performance.

The Argentine was back to his usual tricks and delivered another display that left those in attendance and those watching from afar shaking their heads in astonishment.

Messi opened the score via the penalty spot after a handball in the area following a Junior Firpo cross. He scored his first free-kick close to the end of the half after Celta Vigo managed to equalize. His third goal came early in the second-half off another free-kick to complete his hat-trick and put the game out of reach.

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Sergio Busquets scored Barcelona’s fourth goal to put a cap on the night’s proceedings. But the result did not overshadow the team’s third straight poor collective performance.

It is becoming clear this season that the club will only go as far as Lionel Messi takes them. Sport’s recap of the game stated that the team needed him now more than ever.

Anyone who has followed the team this season will likely have come to the same conclusion.

Barcelona have  suffered from “Messi-dependencia” since he broke out on the main stage. He bailed out the team on many occasions but it’s what one comes to expect from the best player in the world.

But even in those moments there were other like Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, David Villa, Neymar etc. to step up when teams set up to stop Messi.

Since Neymar left, Barcelona have signed the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembélé, Malcom and Antoine Griezmann to replace the Brazilian and take some pressure off of Messi.

Those signings are yet to pan out so Messi has had to carry this team on his back more than before.

Ernesto Valverde has had plenty of options to pair with Messi to try to get cohesion into the team but none have worked so far. Either through injury or poor form, the only constants up front are Messi and Luis Suarez.

Both on the wrong side of 30, the reliance on them can only sustain Barcelona for so long.

Next. Barcelona president preparing to deal with the post-Messi era. dark

No one is complaining about Messi’s performance in this game or throughout the season. With Josep Maria Bartomeu declaring that the Catalans are preparing for life post-Messi, unless other players step up, life post-Messi is going to be difficult.