Barcelona 2-1 Villarreal: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis

#4 Lionel Messi sizzles before making the Camp Nou extremely nervy

Messi was substituted at half-time due to injury

After being plagued by injuries for the better part of August and September, Messi finally started his first game of the season against Villarreal. Unsurprisingly, there was palpable excitement around the Camp Nou.

The Argentine started off in dazzling fashion too and that led the home crowd to wonder what might’ve been had their talisman been fit through their early games.

In the 6th minute, the Barcelona captain whipped in a delightful corner at the near post which was powered past the goalkeeper by Griezmann. The forward also played a vital role in the build-up to Arthur’s goal.

Apart from the assists, the Argentine looked sharp on the ball and tiptoed his way past numerous challenges. Moreover, his exemplary relationship with Luis Suarez came to the fore as the pair combined for a few attacking moves.

Hence, in 16 minutes, Messi had highlighted what the Blaugrana had been missing and immediately signalled his intentions to make up for lost time.

However, moments later, the forward started clutching his thigh, a sight that visibly silenced the terraces at the Camp Nou. He also went off for a few minutes in order to get some treatment. Yet, it all proved to be vain as Messi was ultimately hauled off at half-time.

And, though there exists a question over whether the substitution was merely precautionary or not, Barcelona and the Camp Nou will certainly be waiting with bated breath.

After all, not many players in world football are as important to their teams as Messi is to the Blaugrana.