Barcelona started the year 2021 in the sixth position in the League, collapsed with 10 points behind Atlético and eight behind Real Madrid, just behind Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Villarreal and only the mismatch of days prevented this, after the draw in the Camp New against Eibar, it led to a fragrant depression with an indisputable failure.
A month later, Barça are second in the standings after drawing five league victories with their close victory, but in the end they triumphed over Athletic, something that had not happened since 2016, and Ronald Koeman’s team already behind Real Madrid, which now surpasses by the difference in goals in the absence of Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu and contemplates only Atlético de Madrid above, of course, at the same distance that makes the hunt a huge challenge.
Impossible?
“There are a lot of games left. We have to win and then we will see how far we go,” said Antione Griezmann, the scorer of the second goal in the duel against Athletic on a night that was very difficult for Barça and that he left other visions on the plane.
One of these visions is that this is still the Barça of Lionel Messi, who took revenge against the lions who defeated him in the Super Cup final and who caused the first expulsion of his career with the first team.
Barcelona to a Messi who was exposed as the forces arrived on a particularly difficult day.
The goal period was his final response to the publication of his contract on a particularly uncomfortable Sunday around the Camp Nou and the Argentine showed that, whether he leaves at the end of the season or not, until the last day he will be completely devoted to the Barça cause.
“We are happy with him. He is a legend and I hope we continue to enjoy him so that he can help us win,” Griezmann said of Messi.
The Frenchman’s speech could be extended to an entire dressing room that breathes together in its rhythm and in which there was other good news, such as the reappearance, 18 games later, of Sergi Roberto finally recovered from his injury. Also, the boldness, speed and impudence of Ousmane Dembele, the common sense of Samuel Umtiti and the rebellion of Oscar Mingueza, cruelly underlined by a technical report to which he responded with an extraordinary and rounded game with the assistance for the final 2-1. .
It was not the expected night of Miralem Pjanic, but this has ceased to be, unfortunately for Barça, news, because the Bosnian still does not show the level expected from him. This was probably the only negative news for a Barça man who climbed five positions in one month and went from being a corpse to believing in himself.
Catching up with an Atlético who rides without restraint is a chimera for many and a huge challenge for others. It will be necessary to see how far Barça will go, but with suffering and under Messi’s leadership, the Catalan team seems willing, with brighter days and fewer others, to try.