FC Barcelona vs. Deportivo de la Coruna, 2-0
Alexis' teammates show him some love
Given that Deportivo was rock bottom in La Liga standings and Barcelona have a big match on Tuesday, namely the return leg against AC Milan in the Champions League, it was not so surprising that Leo Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets started on the bench. Xavi Hernandez is still recovering from injury, while Victor Valdes was missing the first of four matches after his outburst against the referee at the end of last weekend's clasico. So the unusual starting line-up consisting of Jose Pinto in goal, Dani Alves, Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano, and Adriano Correia in defense, Thiago Alcantara, Alex Song, and Cesc Fabregas in midfield, and Cristian Tello, David Villa, and Alexis Sanchez in the front line.
The first half was fast-paced and very exciting, even if there were essentially no shots on target from either side. Barcelona seemed to have regained their hunger - the week of rest after two tough and demoralizing matches in a row probably contributed - and almost totally dominated possession, with mostly quick, crisp passing and aggressive recovery of lost balls. Puyol was a standout, Dani Alves was excellent in defense as well as attack for a change, and Song played with much more confidence than usual. Not so David Villa, who despite having the coveted center forward role in Messi's absence could not seem to make his mark. He was called offside multiple times, and at one point found himself one on one with the keeper, seemed to lose his nerve, and finally kicked the ball awkwardly into Aranzubia's arms. The first goal of the match had to wait for Dani Alves to cross the ball into the center for Alexis, who leaped into the air and headed it down towards the goal. Aranzubia prevented it from reaching the back of the net, but it did cross the goal line as it bounced up and down between grass and crossbar. 1-0.
The Deportivo defense couldn't believe it either
The pace slowed noticeably after halftime, when Barcelona appeared more or less content to rest on their laurels. Messi replaced David Villa in the 62nd minute, with Iniesta coming on for Thiago shortly afterwards. For the life of me, I can't understand why it took so long to replace Fabregas, who was having a dreadful day, but Busquets finally replaced him in the 75th. As in the first half, Barcelona had their fair share of opportunities, but with Messi on the pitch and clearly intent on scoring, the other forwards seemed reluctant to shoot, creating the risk that Deportivo might capitalize on an error or breakaway and tie the match. Iniesta and Messi had one great attacking combination, with Iniesta's long shot parried and Messi ruled offside when his ball found net on the rebound. But in the 88th minute, Messi finally set up a successful play, crossing out to Alexis, who smoothly returned the ball to him just in time for a delicate chip over the keeper and into the net. This broke yet another record as Messi became the first player in history to score in 17 consecutive La Liga matches. He is also the top scorer in La Liga so far this season, with 40 goals compared to runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo's 24.
Let's hear it for the boy...
Still, Man of the Match for me was definitely Alexis, who had evidently made up his mind to go all out today, not just in terms of making runs and helping his teammates but in stealing the ball back with surprising determination and keeping his composure when he found himself with an opportunity in front of goal. After a pretty underwhelming season, it was great to see his skills on display. I love this kid and don't want to see him sold this summer, so I hope that he keeps stepping up. Also, kudos to the collective defense, as Pinto pretty much went unchallenged and we had not achieved a clean sheet since mid-January(!).
I prefer half-nekkid pics from Iniesta, but thanks Capi!
So does this make me feel any more confident re: their chances against AC Milan on Tuesday? Erm... not really. This was a fun match to watch, and I'm very glad that they won today, but come on, Deportivo is arguably the worst team in La Liga. Fabregas flubbed his chances, David Villa was no better, Tello was fast and fairly accurate but never really threatening, and Pedro has hardly been scoring this season. Thiago has terrific skills but hasn't yet developed the vision of Xavi, who should not be played when he's still not fit. Puyol played his heart out today and probably couldn't handle another full match so soon, and Bartra is injured, not that he'd be picked to start anyway, so it will be Pique and Masche again, with Jordi Alba on the left and either Adriano or Dani Alves on the right. That combination is good for attack, not so reliable for defense - and a solid defense is absolutely essential if we are to prevent AC Milan away goals.
Well, pessimistic or not, I will be watching on Tuesday come hell or high water. Visca el Barca!