Barcelona's smiling front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar strolled out last for their final training session ahead of Wednesday nights's Uefa Champions League game against Manchester City.
They looked relaxed, flushed from the success of Saturday's 4-0 Primera Liga victory over Deportivo La Coruna, but also in the knowledge that they are all fit and ready.
The mood is positive among Barca’s players — as shown by a training ground exercise last Friday where the three went into the middle of their teammates and struggled to retrieve the ball from them. Three of the best strikers in the world then had to walk through a man-made tunnel of kicks and pushes for their ‘failure’.
Barca have been one of the top three teams on the planet for most of the last decade. No team has been as successful as the Catalans and their record against City is exceptional. In their four Champions League meetings games since 2014, each at the quarter-final stage, Barca have been victorious.
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City have attempted to close the gap with Europe’s elite and reaching last season’s semi-finals before a defeat to Real Madrid shows that they are making progress, but they are still some way behind. Their performance in both Madrid games was cowed, as if they were privileged to be there with no right to go further.
When Barca beat City in March 2015, Pep Guardiola watched from the stands as a fan. As the first half closed, and with City fortunate to be only one goal down, Messi put the ball through James Milner’s legs, an act of skill so outrageous that Guardiola, watching high in the stands with his family, roared out loud and put his head in his hands.
Gary Neville, commentating for British TV, said there were so many nutmegs that he had closed his own legs. On Spanish television, the commentator opined: “Messi is abusing Manchester City”.
Now, Guardiola is charge of making sure that Messi doesn’t humiliate his team and there’s a hint of anxiety among Barca fans that has previously been absent. Maybe it’s Guardiola, or a fear that reflects the belief in the club of the growing financial power of the Premier League.
Barca still enjoyed higher revenues than any English club last year. Given the British pound has lost 25 per cent of its value against the Euro since December, that should continue this year, but there is a wave of money crashing into English football that can’t be matched by any other league.
Barca should keep hold of their best players from this generation. Luis Suarez doesn’t want to return to England, while Messi and Neymar are well remunerated and happy living the beach life in Barcelona, yet Barca fear that the leading English clubs will soon be able to offer players much more financially. On Tuesday, Gerard Pique said: ‘Manchester City — a club with the financial capacity like them, which can sign any player in world.’
Barca are no financial slouches and they continue to ape the commercial model of Manchester United as they have done for 15 years, opening Megastores, structuring sponsors on a geographic basis. Ronaldinho was announced as a club ambassador last week, someone to meet and greet potential sponsors in a way that Messi can’t as he has the small matter of playing football.
Messi has long been intrigued by City’s wealth — right from when his compatriot Carlos Tevez moved there, but Barca continue to make him football’s best paid player.
There is another concern among fans. By a football pitch in Vall de’Hebron north of Barcelona last week, a group of season ticket holders talked about their team. For them, Guardiola is the greatest manager that ever lived. The consensus was that while Barca are still football’s pre-eminent side capable not just of beating but destroying any foe, there is a slow decline in their brilliance — albeit judged by their own superlative standards.
Spanish sides are still the best in Europe by a distance, but given their respect for Guardiola and the riches on offer in English football, City avoiding defeat in Camp Nou wouldn’t stun the cules of Catalonia.
Atletico’s tried and trusted methods in Europe
Atletico Madrid play Russian side FC Rostov away on Wednesday evening in the Champions League group they top, having already beaten Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven.
In Europe, Atletico play to the style which has brought them success in recent years. Their strength comes from a solid defensive core and Atletico have won both games 1-0, defeating the best two other teams in the toughest group.
In Spanish domestic football, Atletico have changed their style, adopting a more attacking play with more goals. The seven they put past Granada at the weekend kept them up with Barca and Madrid as being by far and away the highest scorers in Spain, yet they have also kept the best defence. Unbeaten Atletico have let in only three goals in eight games, so it was a surprise when winless Granada took the lead at the Calderon on Saturday before being hit for seven.
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If Atletico had a fault, then it was relying too much on their main striker, from Radamel Falcao to Diego Costa and Antoine Griezmann last season. That wasn’t a problem as they delivered, but compared with the brilliant front threes at Barca and Madrid, the two giants whose duopoly they have broken, they come up short.
Simeone has tried several different options. He’s a master for getting the best out of his players but while the successes are celebrated, plenty have failed to fit into his system and demands.
Jackson Martinez, a fine, €40 million (Dh161.5m) striker, was allowed to leave after only six months — at a profit. Arda Turan, who Atletico didn’t want to sell as he had been so effective for them, opted for Barca.
Yannick Carrasco signed for €17m from Monaco in 2015 — not to be a striker, but a winger who could play anywhere across the middle. He was playing on the right of midfield in a 4-4-2 against Granada, with the instruction from his manager to shoot more. On the opposite side with more licence to get forward than the old rigid 4-4-2 of Atletico was Angel Correa, another attack-minded player who is thriving under Simeone.
Ahead of the midfield anchored by Koke and Gabi are Griezmann and Kevin Gamiero, the summer signing from Sevilla who has settled well. It was a surprise that of the seven scored by Atletico, none came from their two forwards Gamiero and Griezmann.
Carrasco didn’t only get a hat-trick, but the 23-year-old Belgian also set up two goals. Not for nothing was he being linked with Barcelona and Chelsea recently. Carrasco says he has no intention of leaving, but while Atletico fans have heard that before, they do have a better chance of keeping their best players while they continue to be one of the best teams in the world.
Fernando Torres remains useful and with Nicolas Gaitan, another close season signing, there are goals all over the team.
Atletico are already exceptional and their next target is to win the Champions League. After being so hurt by May’s final defeat in Milan, Simeone appears to be redoubling his efforts to do just that and he looked delighted as he hugged Carrasco.
Game of the week
Several attractive ties, with third placed Sevilla against leaders Atletico Madrid the stand out. Sevilla have won all four home games, Atletico are unbeaten in the league. Valencia, in improved form, host Barcelona, Real Madrid are at home to Athletic Bilbao, while there are derbies in Galicia and the Basque Country.
Player of the week — Geronimo Rulli
Real Sociedad lost the main Basque derby 3-2 at Athletic Bilbao, but if it wasn’t for the efforts of their young Argentine goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, it could have been worse. Or it could have been better had his injury time effort not been ruled offside. Rulli, 21, is in his third season at the Anoeta after replacing Barca-bound Claudio Bravo. If his progress continues, the stopper who cost €7m will be sold for a lot more than that.
What else?
• Sevilla won their first away game in the league in 511 days, a 3-2 triumph at promoted Leganes. For such an excellent side, Sevilla stunned by going through the whole of last season without an away win in the league. Their new manager Jorge Sampaoli has made a better start to a season than any previous Sevilla manager and the Europa League holders are third in the table.
• Valencia won again, this time in Cesare Prandelli’s first match away at Sporting Gijon. They are up to 14th and, Valencia being Valenica, the local media are speculating that the team could make the Champions League this season. In defender Joao Cancelo, 22, they have a player who should be in the Champions League. Barcelona are interested.
• Levante are six points clear at the top of the Segunda and looking very promising for an immediate return to the Primera Liga. Mallorca, who they defeated at the weekend, look more likely to be relegated than promoted.
• Betis fans chanted for Gus Poyet to go after his side were beaten 6-1 at home to Real Madrid. Isco was the stand out player for Madrid, but Toni Kroos was also instrumental. Madrid remain unbeaten, as do Atletico and Villarreal.
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