Barcelona vs PSV: Is Lionel Messi finally back?
Following Barcelona's clash up against a very weak looking PSV side, the Argentine looked forward to putting on one of the best football performances that the world has ever experienced. The fact that the tournament just got kicked off, Lionel Messi was able to score a hat-trick, levelling up with former Real Madrid legend Raul.
However, this wasn't the Lionel Messi who was just out there scoring goals, he was the man who took the responsibility for getting his team in rhythm and the shape that Barcelona lacked over the past seasons in the Champions League.
With the tournament being extremely long, and the matchdays piling up, the 'best in the world' is looking forward to establishing himself as a player who isn't done yet. With over a decade of dominance, Messi, in his clash against PSV proved to be a gem of a player.
But the real question here is the fact that the chances of Barcelona's Champions league victory are more than just obvious, with the 'little man' gaining his form and charisma, can he take his side all the way to the finals in Madrid?
The Transition
Up until the very last season, the Barcelona side lacked everything. Composure, depth and most importantly, a sustainable attacking lineup. But this season, things seem to be different for the Blaugrana, as their newly formed link with a much resurrected Ousmane Dembele has become an important factor for this Barcelona side.
Messi, along with Phillipe Coutinho is seen to develop the attacking opportunities that not many of us have actually experienced. With the Argentine slowly and steadily building up the entire play, allowing Coutinho and Suarez to take the mantle and initiate the attack, Messi further deploys himself either as an attacking third or as a false 9, who can then get into the scoring position finishing the play with just a flick of his foot.
It is pretty obvious that Barcelona isn't just relying on him to do the job. Everyone in the squad has an equal and important contribution. With the responsibility being lifted off his shoulders, Messi is truly getting his personal space and is doing what he always does the best; Score goals.
Squad Depth
We experienced the ways in which Messi was able to ghost into the attacking positions and develop a remarkable way of deploying the midfielders in an extremely unorthodox manner. The focus of Barcelona's squad is mostly focusing on the midfield being versatile in terms of initiating an attack that requires no complications.
With the Barcelona side facing the minimum number of tackles from the defenders, the Argentine was able to make space not just for himself, but also for his teammates, as we saw Luis Suarez, who was developing an understanding with Messi in every manner relevant.
PSV, on the other hand, wasn't quite the same, as the Argentine was constantly shifting his positions from one place to another. Sometimes as a winger, or sometimes as a natural attacking midfielder. The fact that Messi allowed his side to make the best use of the empty spaces left by the Dutch side, it was obvious that PSV were far from winning the match.
Has the Argentine truly 'returned'?
The fact that he wasn't able to win a spot for the FIFA player of the year award must have been somewhere in the back of his head. His transition into a completely different player is what we saw yesterday. This isn't the Lionel Messi that we have been experiencing since the past few seasons.
Starting of the Champions League campaign in such fashion is something we'd have taken note of. Messi now looks confident, composed and has a squad that is willing to put their hearts out and play not just for the fans and the team, but also for the Argentine.
With an extremely tight group in the Champions League, Lionel Messi is set to break all the records and stand tall above all the footballers. After all, it is extremely evident that the Barcelona star is back.
Also Read: Why Barcelona will win the Champions League this season