Lionel Messi saves Ronald Koeman’s blushes after difficult week for Barcelona

The tension inside the Camp Nou on Sunday was palpable right until the 76th minute when Lionel Messi broke the deadlock against Levante. Barcelona's labours en route to a narrow 1-0 win against the La Liga minnows epitomised the team’s recent struggles.

The win against Levante was the Blaugrana’s first in three games, following back-to-back defeats against Cadiz and Juventus. The Barcelona side was desperate for a win and this result lifts the pressure off manager Ronald Koeman.

The Dutchman was beginning to slump under the pressure coming his way and his statements at press conferences weren’t inspiring. He had also gone silent on social media for almost two weeks.

However, Koeman found his voice again following his side’s important victory against Levante and he took to Twitter to revel in the moment.

“A hard-fought and well-deserved win last night in our stadium. Up to our next match, Real Sociedad on Wednesday!” the Barcelona manager tweeted.

A hard-fought and well-deserved win last night in our stadium. Up to our next match, Real Sociedad on Wednesday! 🔵🔴 #ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/mq3gmjKqB6

— Ronald Koeman (@RonaldKoeman) December 14, 2020

Levante win eases pressure on Ronald Koeman

Barcelona have been very poor in recent weeks, which made their game against Levante a must-win. Having slipped behind Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the race for La Liga, anything short of victory would have been unacceptable.

Fortunately, Lionel Messi turned up to save the day. This was not a flawless performance from Barcelona, as Levante squandered numerous chances to score.

However, it was a welcome result for Koeman’s side, with their captain scoring from a tight angle to secure all three points. Sunday’s win not only eased the pressure on Koeman but also lifted Barcelona to eighth on the La Liga table.

The Blaugrana are now nine points behind Atletico Madrid and six points behind bitter rivals Real Madrid, with a game in hand. In football, a single result can change the fortunes of a team and it looks like the win against Levante has lifted the spirits at Camp Nou.

❝We knew that ... we had to win.❞ — @RonaldKoeman pic.twitter.com/PdgOjR8sav

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 13, 2020

At his post-game press conference, Koeman was adamant that Barcelona could still win still the league if they build on their latest triumph, insisting there are many more games to be played.

"Of course we can win [the title]. If we improve and we have more confidence and we improve our effectiveness [in front of goal], there's a chance! There are still lots of games left remaining,” Koeman said, as quoted by Marca.

Barcelona’s main challenge this season has been their lack of consistency. But should they manage to go on a consistent run in the next few weeks, the Catalan club will be back in the title race.