La Liga 2016/17: Barcelona 1-0 Granada - 5 Talking Points

BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 29:  Lionel Messi (2nd R) of FC Barcelona fights for the ball with Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez (R) and Matthieu Saunier (3rd R) of Granada CF during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Granada CF at Camp Nou stadium on October 29, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.  (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Even Messi struggled to break past the Granada defence 

#2 Could Rafinha step into Iniesta’s boots?

BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 29:  Rafinha of FC Barcelona celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Granada CF at Camp Nou stadium on October 29, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.  (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The Brazillian is getting back to his best after spending most of last season on the sidelines due to an injury

With Barcelona’s leader and most influential midfielder out for up to eight weeks thanks to an injury, the race for which player replaces Don Andres in the starting 11 has intensified. The battle will be between Andre Gomes, Denis Suarez, and Rafinha, all three of them being youngsters with a bright future ahead of them. Each of the three players possesses qualities that would be required to replace Iniesta, but there is one man leading that race now.

Rafinha looks to be the favorite to replace Iniesta and will be expected to start on Tuesday evening when the Catalans fly across the sea to face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. His fantastic skill and hunger to contribute to the attack are great to watch, and the youngster looks to be in great form at the moment. However, he lacks the composure of Iniesta, which is a major factor in big games, while Andre Gomes is one of the most composed players. He could be given the nod ahead of Rafinha for that reason on Tuesday.

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