With Lionel Messi and without Lionel Messi

The only sure thing in the life awaiting Barca is that without Messi, we’ll see a very different team. We saw it against Real Sociedad, more together, more dynamic and wider. More pressure, too. For better or worse, without Messi, the Messi-dependencia disappears. So do his 40 plus goals, his 20 plus assists, the free-kicks, the genius, the spectacle. But there’s no solution to that, so allow me to start with the Messidependencia weakness Barca had. Referring of course, to the defensive structure of the team.

It’s about what happens when the team lost the ball. It’s not a sin to say Messi did not defend. And if you defend with one fewer and a lot of the others aren’t made to run back, the problem is serious. More serious each year because the players were older and Xavi and Iniesta weren’t there to make sure the ball wasn’t lost in the first place. Barca scored 85 goals last season in La Liga, 18 more than Atletico and Real Madrid, but finished nine points behind the champions and five off Real. 

The key was in defence, conceding 38 to Atletico’s 25, and 10 moe than Madrid. IT was worse in the Champions League, bleeding three goals to Juve and four to PSG at Camp Nou. Even with 11 Messis you wouldn’t win like that. Against Real Sociedad the pressing worked up front for 80 minutes, but Barca got tired and let them back in with the subs upsetting the system too. Barca have quality up front, even without Messi. But everyone must defend, and that, is perhaps the only way they may have come out winning from No 10’s departure.