Barcelona’s MSN “Trident” deserve awards, but Dani Alves is the unsung hero

Brazilian winger proves to be a quiet hero for the Catalan club months after speculation he would leave. Andy Mitten reports from Camp Nou.

Dani Alves, right, has fun in the dressing room but gets serious on the pitch, like he did against Real Sociedad on Saturday night. Quique Garcia / EPA

Barcelona 4

Neymar 22’, 53’, Suarez 41’, Messi 90+1’

Real Sociedad 0

The brilliant front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar again were the story of the match after Barca enjoyed a second 4-0 win against one of Spain’s Royal teams in a week.

Madrid were vanquished last week, Sociedad on Saturday night as the players known as the “Trident” scored all the goals. They will be the names expected to feature among the Ballon d’Or finalists when the shortlist is released on Monday, yet both Barca’s first two goals came via Daniel Alves crosses.

The Brazilian, 32, was set to leave Barcelona last season. Out of contract in June 2015, he refused to sign extensions offered by the club he would served so well since joining from Sevilla in 2008.

He turned down moves to Chelsea and was expected to go to Paris Saint-Germain and earn a final huge contract. Alves refused to comment on speculation, even singing into the microphones of reporters who approached him at Barcelona airport.

As the season drew towards a glorious conclusion, manager Luis Enrique kept saying how much he wanted Alves to stay.

His teammates did the same, yet Alves was convinced of enemies within the club who wanted him out.

“There was a campaign to get rid of me, but I’m strong and I insist that when people compete with me, they will lose,” he said this week.

“I am so dedicated, so passionate and that counts for more than what crazy people throw at me. If people want to know my history, put my name in Google, because Google seems to be more intelligent than some people.”

Two days after winning the treble in Berlin, Barca announced agreement with Alves.

His form has been excellent this term, his attacking instincts never blunted. Of all the assists in Spain’s Primera Liga in the past decade, only Messi set up more goals than Alves’s 95. The Brazilian has assisted more than Xavi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta.

He is popular in Barca’s dressing room, an outlandishly dressed fun factory who gets serious on the pitch when he converts into a one-man right wing.

With wide men Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal unable to play until January and Sergi Roberto switched into a right-back by Luis Enrique, Barca needed Alves.

He was effective in the 4-0 triumph at the Bernabeu last week and delighted in speaking to the media on Monday, though he still refused to speak to Madrid-based newspapers Marca and AS.

The man who encouraged Neymar to Camp Nou was outstanding for an hour against the Basques on Saturday night, setting up Neymar for the opening goal with a low cross after being set up himself by an impudent flick from Messi after 21 minutes.

Four minutes before half time, Alves crossed again from the right, this time a high ball towards the box which Luis Suarez volleyed down and into the net from 15 yards.

The crowd of 74,020 shouted: “Suarez! Suarez!” But they were just as vocal when Alves became the first of three quick substitutions after 61 minutes.

Among the fans were the confederation of Barcelona Supporters’ clubs who voted Alves into their best Barcelona XI two days before the match.

Alves is often overlooked – he made that point himself – because of the feted attackers in front of him, yet he has been integral to some of Barca’s greatest recent moments.

Andres Iniesta’s dramatic late goal in the 2009 Uefa Champions League semi-final came from an Alves ball. Six years on, he has still got it.

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