Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona: 5 reasons why the Catalans lost the game | LaLiga 2019-20

#1 Lionel Messi was well below-par

Lionel Messi

Given his status as arguably the greatest player in history, it is not often that you use disappointing and Lionel Messi in the same sentence but that was exactly what happened in the latest clash with Real Madrid.

The 32-year-old has been something of a menace to the capital side in this fixture and both players and fans of the club would have been wary of him, having been first-hand witnesses of the destruction he can cause.

With his four-goal haul against Eibar last weekend, much of the pre-game focus was on Messi but it was a case of much ado about nothing as the Rosario native put up a no-show in the capital.

He struggled to get a sniff at goal, with Casemiro doing an Italian job on him, which prompted him to drop deep and try to influence proceedings. However, the pedestrian nature of those around him and superior tempo of the Real Madrid players meant that his efforts were futile.

It is no hidden secret that Barcelona have been average in recent years and owe their successes to their iconic skipper. He makes them tick and when Messi plays well, the entire team generally plays well and while most of his teammates were equally poor against Real Madrid, much higher levels are expected from their captain and his failure to step up to the plate meant that Barcelona had next to no chance of coming out successful.

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