Barcelona have occasionally been accused of Messidependencia over the years – reliance on their captain and talisman Lionel Messi – but it now seems truer than ever.
Ernesto Valverde’s side, in the coach’s third year in charge, are reliant on the Argentine and appear to have little else up their sleeve. That was explicitly clear in their 3-1 defeat at Levante on Saturday in La Liga, ending a streak of seven consecutive victories.
Real Madrid would have the chance to overtake the champions later in the day at Real Betis, after Barcelona’s collapse in Valencia. Messi was the only man in yellow holding his own for the visitors, as Barcelona looked to build on their emphatic 5-1 triumph over Real Valladolid in midweek.
It took Barcelona 31 minutes to create their first real opportunity, with Messi slipping in Antoine Griezmann who saw his shot saved. The French forward was forced to take it on his weaker right foot and could not beat Aitor Fernandez with a low effort.
Griezmann seemed to spend more time in his own half than in the opposition’s territory, working extremely hard but not providing the danger his high-profile arrival promised. At Atletico Madrid the Frenchman was notable for his impressive work-rate under Diego Simeone, but also his attacking prowess.
Barcelona spent €120 million on the forward to add spark to their frontline but Griezmann has twice as many bookings as he has goals. The forward picked up his fourth of the season against Levante as he got his hands dirty.
What Barcelona lacked beyond Messi, who broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 38th minute, was flair. Valverde decided, bizarrely unless the forward had suffered an unannounced injury, to leave Ousmane Dembele at home.
Source – Goal.com
