Barcelona vs Levante: 5 Talking Points

#2 Ernesto Valverde's 4-4-2 pays dividends yet again

Barca are looking unstoppable

Ernesto Valverde's appointment at Barcelona was greeted with jeers of derision - supposedly the lack of a superstar pedigree (as coach and as player) meant he wasn't good enough - but in half a season, the Basque has shut his critics up... and completely changed the way Barcelona played, so much so that if you saw clips of Luis Enrique's last season vs this one, it'd take you back.

Valverde, adjusting to the loss of Neymar Jr., shifted focus back to Barca's traditional stronghold, midfield, and that was evident against Levante as well. When with the ball, Barca are a fluid amalgamation of 4-4-2 and 4-3-3, off it, the system is clear. Four at the back, four across the middle, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez mucking it about in front of them

The four across the middle maintain superb discipline, making Barcelona unusually hard to break down on the rare occasions they are not in possession of the ball and this marriage of traditional Catalan 'values' and Basque pragmatism is working to perfection.

Great moment for Phil Coutinho to make his bow on the elite(st) stage of world football.