How are Barcelona getting back on track to be La Liga favorites again?
It wasn't too long ago that people were asking whether Barcelona had a chance to be the best team ever. The Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar frontline was unstoppable and the Blaugrana had their eyes on a second consecutive treble. They were going to be record setters, and any argument that there had ever been a better team could be answered by simply pointing at the trophy case.
Then April 2 hit. Barcelona lost three straight in La Liga to blew their nine-point lead. They also went out of the Champions League. But it is that Champions League loss that might win them La Liga.
When Barcelona were struggling, they weren’t getting played off the pitch. They were competitive and had chances, but they couldn't finish and were too often beaten in transition. A half-step off was the difference, which could very well be a matter of fatigue. And in Barcelona's case it was just that, as fixture congestion and a litany of injuries sent them into their most important stretch of the season with too many matches in too short of a time and few players to throw out there.
Barcelona were tired. Messi is a clinical finisher, but he wasn't for that run of matches in April. And Neymar was getting beaten to balls he normally is first to. Sergio Busquets couldn't cut out all of the counterattacks before they threatened the back line and a slew of other players were simply off the pace. They had heavy legs.
It's no surprise that Barcelona had tired players. They're at the tail end of a long season and every team has tired players. But Barcelona's situation was over the top, and Luis Enrique didn't help himself out with minimal squad rotation.
Consider: In that horrific 16-day stretch that saw them lose three straight in the league and go out of the Champions League, they played five matches. Messi, Neymar, Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Jordi Alba, Javier Mascherano and Gerard Pique played in every single one of those matches, which would be a tall task in September or October, let alone in April. By that point, the Blaugrana had played more than 50 matches in the season. Playing so many players heavy, intense minutes in such a short span at that point in the year was asking for trouble, and they got plenty of trouble.
By the time that stretch was over, it was April 17 and Barcelona's nine-point lead in La Liga was gone. Atletico Madrid had drawn level with them atop the table to go along with eliminating Barcelona from the Champions League. Real Madrid were back in the title race too, lurking just a point back. And considering the way the team was playing, they looked third favorites to defend their La Liga crown.
Forget being one of the greatest teams of all time. They were struggling to just be the greatest team in Spain in this one season. But their fortunes turned.
The Blaugrana got back on track with a thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna and then put a smack down on Sporting Gijon, winning the two matches by a combined score of 14-0.
Now, Barcelona look like their dominant selves again. They're still only joint top of La Liga, but they have the tiebreakers over Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid so they're still sitting pretty. All they have to do now is win out and they are champions.
The Blaugrana look like a good bet to do just that, too, and it's not just because of their last two matches. It's because they finally have some rest.
With their Champions League campaign over, Barcelona got six days off this week. There was no midweek match before taking on Real Betis this weekend and they will have seven days off before they play Espanyol next week. Then it's another six days off before finishing the La Liga season against Granada.
If Barcelona had prevailed against Atletico in the Champions League, they would have had a midweek semifinal this and next week. They'd have no extended time off, and the fixture congestion that plagued them in the first half of April would have continued into mid-May. But now those tired legs that let them down in April, allowing that La Liga lead to evaporate and their Champions League lives to die, are tired no more. They're going to be fresh, or at least as fresh as any players' legs can be at the tail end of a grueling season. And it could deliver them the La Liga title.
Of course, their finishing schedule helps too. They didn't have rest before their last two matches and did just fine, winning both, but that could be chalked up to playing the 14th and 18th place teams in the league. Their last three will also see them playing teams in the bottom eight, including two teams in the relegation zone. Combine that and some rest and it's tough to see Barcelona faltering down the stretch. And if they win out, they're La Liga champions, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid be damned.
Are Barcelona the best team ever? No. Are they even in that conversation right now? No chance. But they do look likely to take the La Liga title. That wasn't the case just a week ago, and you might not be able to say that if they hadn't fallen in the Champions League. It may not have been a blessing in disguise or something anyone at the Camp Nou wanted, but that doesn't mean it doesn't come with added benefits. And those benefits will be on full display if Barcelona hold on to be crowned champions of Spain once more.
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