3️⃣ points as Barcelona extend LaLiga lead with Leganes win | OneFootball

Barcelona marked their return to the Camp Nou with a well deserved win over Leganes on Tuesday night.

After some brief early scares, Ansu Fati and Lionel Messi (with his 699th career goal) struck in either half as the home side moved five points clear at LaLiga’s summit.

This is what we made of it …

The B team do their bit

With the games coming thick and fast after a period of lengthy inactivity, squad rotation is to be entirely expected.

Quique Setién made five changes from his first choice team which were so impressive in the weekend win at Mallorca, although Frenkie de Jong’s absence was enforced due to injury.

The likes of Junior Firpo, Arthur, Ivan Rakitić and Ansu Fati all came in as the Barça boss attempted to keep legs fresh with another game looming fast on Friday.

Of those who came in, it was unsurprisingly Fati who distinguished himself best, putting the Blaugrana in front with a really well-taken goal.

But at left-back, Junior performed more than admirably and can be pleased with the showing he put in as Jordi Alba was given a breather.

The two midfielders did reasonably well, without ever really standing out. In fact, Arturo Vidal and Riqui Puig were arguably more impressive in their shorter time on the field.

However, this was a team fielded with the sole purpose of escaping unscathed and with a win. Mission accomplished.

Anonymous Antoine

Speaking of Fati showing how good he is again, one man who may not have been so pleased to see him show off his talents is Antoine Griezmann.

The youngster was vibrant and showed fast feet and deadly accuracy to fire his side in front, capping off a fine showing.

That was in stark contrast with the Frenchman, whose struggles were on show again.

It isn’t so much that Griezmann is doing a lot wrong.

It is more the fact that he isn’t really doing a whole lot of anything, with vast patches of games passing him by.

Yes, we are aware that he found the net in the second half only to have it narrowly ruled out for offside but even that would have masked a subpar outing.

It probably sums things up for him at the moment: it just isn’t happening.

Luis Suárez is back now and hungry to regain his place, meaning Griezmann could be the man to drop out.

For €120m, you expect more. A lot more.

Piqué scare highlights defensive problem

Shortly after half-time, Barcelona were given a massive scare as all connected with the club clenched with anxiety due to a tackle on Gerard Piqué.

Roger Assale’s studs-to-the-knee foul was more ill-timed than malicious but it still had everyone at Camp Nou concerned.

After lengthy treatment at the side of the field, Piqué returned and instantly showed there were no lasting effects by hurling himself into a hefty challenge.

But Barça fans will have been very worried at the sight of him in such pain – and with good reason.

If he had been forced off with, God forbid, a long-term injury, it would have left them rather short in that area of the field.

Samuel Umtiti warmed up in the event that he was needed but he isn’t a man you can count upon, with injuries and ill discipline behind the scenes both a concern.

Ronald Araújo is a talent but still young and very inexperienced.

Barcelona can be thankful that it takes more than a nasty tackle to put Piqué away but it was still a big bullet dodged.