3️⃣ points as Lionel Messi inspires Barcelona win over Valladolid | OneFootball

It was business as usual for Barcelona as they beat Real Valladolid 5-1 on Tuesday.

Here’s what we took from the game …

Messi to the rescue again

It seems ridiculous (and entirely obvious) to say this, but where would Barcelona be without Lionel Messi?

Their horrible start to the season coincided with his absence through injury, and the 32-year-old inspired them to victory again against Valladolid.

His assists for Arturo Vidal and Luis Suárez were inch-perfect, before scoring twice himself with typically precise finishes from distance.

It’s not just his productivity. It’s the movement, it’s the touch, it’s his general aura on the pitch that nobody else can replicate – and Barça are lost without him.

Frenkie finding his feet

While Matthijs de Ligt struggles to adapt at Juventus, Frenkie de Jong is settling in as smooth as you’d like at Camp Nou.

There were issues surrounding midfield balance under Ernesto Valverde, but the Dutchman is beginning to form relationship with Sergio Busquets where he can still glide past players, without having to drop in between the centre backs.

That ability to drive forward so effortlessly is what makes him special and we are slowly seeing the best of his talent.

Elephant in the room

Things are improving but we still need to talk about the elephant in the room.

How does Valverde get the best out of Antoine Griezmann, Messi and Suárez as a trio? Is it even possible?

The Frenchman was a sizeable investment at €120m and on paper – that front three is devastating. But at the moment it all feels a bit too similar.

Maybe adapting Griezmann’s role slightly to the wide forward he was at Real Sociedad could help? Either way, it’s a problem that needs to be fixed.