Yesterday, Lionel Messi put on a show and dispensed with Italian champion Juventus 3-0 to open this year's Champions League campaign.
The win was sweet for several reasons, most of all that Juventus had knocked Barca out of last year's competition in the quarterfinal stage. Over two legs last year, Barca had managed no goals to Juventus' three.
Though Barca were without Neymar yesterday, the new players they signed with his transfer fee shined. The full back Nelson Semedo was rampant on the right side, and the forward Ousmane Dembele also caused Juventus countless problems on that same side. That our right flank has been significantly strengthened enabled Lionel Messi to drift more central and play as a "false 9" or mobile forward. This liberation came at the Juventus' expense as Messi was everywhere and hard to contain.
While he had not previously scored against Juventus' towering goalkeeper Gigi Buffon, yesterday Messi put two past him. Ivan Rakitic added a third, and the game was done and dusted.
Beyond Messi's brilliance and the performance of new signings, other tactical changes also contributed to the win. First, Barca as a team ran 25 more kilometers last night versus their 3-0 humiliation to Juventus last year. Second, the possession, pass and move, "total football" of the Cruyff and Guardiola eras resurfaced in place of the midfield-bypassing structure of Barca's former coach Lucho Enrique. Finally, the team had something to prove after its poor showing last year and because of all the doubters. A stronger and more forceful message could not have been sent!
I look forward to this season and watching this team gel and take shape. I am a clue for life, and yesterday's European night was one for the ages!
