LaLiga 2018-19, Barcelona 2-0 Celta Vigo: 5 talking points

Barcelona hosted mid-table Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou, in what was the last game for both sides this year. The Catalans cruised to a 2-0 win to cap off a successful calendar year on a winning note.

Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring inside ten minutes when he converted after Lionel Messi's shot rebounded to his feet. Messi doubled Barcelona's lead when he latched on to Alba's through pass on the stroke of half-time. His finish from close range meant that the home side was at relative ease going into the interval.

Barcelona held on to their lead in the second half and clinched a relatively comfortable win. The win gave them a three-point buffer at the top of the table, as Atletico are hot on their trail after their win early in the day. Sevilla could cut the gap to three as well if they win against Leganes on Sunday. Celta meanwhile, are currently 10th in the table after the loss.

On that note, here are the major talking points from the game.

#5 Barcelona cruise to the three points in first gear

Barcelona can surely play better than they did against Celta. But the fact is, they didn't need to. The home side got an early goal and was not really pushed by their opponents to take it up a notch for the rest of the game.

The possession dropped considerably for Barca, and so did the efforts on goal. Both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were static for long periods in the game, and they were clinical from the attacking forays the managed.

The game was slow in pace, and any sort of intensity was lacking. Perhaps Christmas and New Year's celebrations were already taking shapes in the minds of some.