Ronaldo had a hat trick, but at the end of Sunday, individual performance was overshadowed by collective excellence. Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid to clinch the Primera Division title of La Liga. Exactly one year ago, Atletico was crowned the victor of La Liga on Barcelona’s home turf, making Sunday’s win that much more satiating for Messi, the sole goal scorer in the affair.
There are no pictures on a scoreboard, but if there had been today, they would have showed everyone a brilliant story. Down to the wire and titillating to the very end, Atletico nearly tied it on multiple occasions to no avail. However, had the match resulted in a draw, Barcelona would have been able to wait for next weekend’s favorable matchup to clinch the cup.
On the other hand, Atleti had a lot riding on the line. Had Atleti gathered the three points on Sunday, they would have solidified not only Champions League football but also third place in La Liga. Interestingly enough, despite having another, most likely easier chance to clinch the title at home, Barcelona did not lay down either, making the match an absolute thriller.
Atleti controlled the first 10 minutes. Claudio Bravo was forced to make the save of the year on Raul Jimenez’s header. Bravo has been the epitome of a world-class keeper. The 6’1” Chilean has been crucial in Barcelona’s success this year and has played a large part in anchoring the stingiest squad in La Liga.
While Atleti controlled the beginning and concluding stages of the match, Barcelona absolutely dominated the middle 75 minutes, forcing Jan Oblak to make some pretty remarkable saves as well, giving fans across the world a goalkeeping skeptical not soon forgotten.
Late in the 65th minute, Barcelona was threatening. From outside the upper left hand corner of the box, Messi threaded a pass to Neymar. Immediately cutting, Messi received the ball back nearly instantly, then, with one rollover and a controlling touch, buried a shot in the bottom right corner for his 41st goal of the season.
This game had a significantly different strategy from most however as Luis Suarez was left off the squad. Citing a lingering hamstring, it was clear that without any true urgency this would be a good match to rest the third head of their attacking Cerberus. This change forced Enrique to shift Messi to the middle with Neymar to his left and Pedro to his right. This strategy was clearly utilized in the only goal of the afternoon as the interplay between Neymar and Messi continues to grow in scope, beauty and frequency.
Many cite their offensive firepower, however one must recognize the team’s superior defense. Ranking first in goals against average (19 goals in 37 games) the back four showed once again held the opponent scoreless. Coming up, Dani Alves almost scored at the end of the half, showing the depth and acumen of the back four on both sides of the ball. In tandem with Bravo’s remarkable year, it’s hard to see anyone beating Barcelona especially when Suarez returns to peak condition.
As we praise Barcelona, let us not forget the beginning of the year, marred by dramatized controversy between new coach Luis Enrique and Messi. Remember when Enrique didn’t play Messi the first game of the year? Remember when he didn’t show up to practice the following day after abusive criticism from Argentinian publications and syndicates? Many probably don’t as Enrique has already clinched his first La Liga title and may be on his way to the treble not half a year later.
This is the first triumph on the journey for the treble and while it is no guarantee, the odds certainly favor Barcelona. At the zenith of their form, the La Liga champs look consistently unstoppable. Despite dramatized dysfunction at the beginning of the year, Barcelona has undoubtedly been the best team in La Liga, if not the world.
