SD Eibar 0-3 Barcelona: 3 Reasons why the Blaugrana won

Barcelona temporarily moved to the top of La Liga after defeating Eibar 3-0 during their visit to the Ipurua Municipal Stadium on Saturday.

The Catalan titans appear to have recovered after their stuttering start to the campaign with the victory over Eibar extending their winning streak to four consecutive league games.

The Blaugrana walked into the game as overwhelming favourites, having won all of their previous nine league meetings against Eibar but the latter were formerly on an unbeaten domestic streak of their own, winning two and drawing two of their last four league games.

Antoine Griezmann stormed in with the breakthrough goal in the 13th minute before second-half goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez all but secured the victory for the reigning champions, providing them with a much-needed boost of confidence after the international break.

Let us now look at the three primary reasons why Barcelona secured the crucial away win.

#1 A bright glimpse of what's to come from Messi-Griezmann-Suarez

Barcelona made a killing from their new attacking trinity as Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez all found the back of the net for the first time to secure the win for the side.

Griezmann gave the visitors an early lead as he calmly finished a long ball from Clément Lenglet who lobbed a pass over the top of the Eibar defence in the 13th minute. The former Atletico Madrid forward benefitted from a Pablo de Blasis slip and serenely slid the ball onto the back of the net to take his goal tally for Barca to four.

Messi may have been wasteful in the first half but the mercurial Argentine made up for his big miss with a goal that gave fans a glimpse of what their new attacking trio could truly do. An incredible bit of passing, which could be traced back to Frenkie de Jong, made its way to Suarez before it came to Griezmann who flicked the ball to Messi, who then saw it off into the bottom corner of the net.

The triple threat that Barcelona have been depending on for success this season gave the Catalan faithful yet another treat as Messi, who could have bagged a brace, unselfishly chose to pass to Suarez who successfully slot the ball past Marko Dmitrovic. The effort will undoubtedly give the Uruguayan a morale boost as he has now equalled the legendary Josep Samitier's tally with his 184th goal for the Blaugrana.

Much has been said about Griezmann's ability to integrate into the Spanish champions' marquee forward line and it appears the Frenchman is on the right path. The trio's performances against Eibar serve as evidence that the club can reap the benefits if they employ their players properly and will surely leave supporters excited for what's to come this season.

#2 Eibar's high defensive line proved to be their downfall

Eibar, who previously conceded fewer goals at home than both Barcelona and Real Madrid, were punished for employing a high defensive line against the Catalan giants, who exploited them with long balls through the space left behind their back-line.

The tactical decision was taken advantage of best by Clement Lenglet, who orchestrated the first goal for the Blaugrana with a long pass toward Antoine Griezmann who calmly slid the ball into the back of the net.

Messi also proved to be a constant threat to José Luis Mendilibar's defence, particularly before the break, when he was pushing hard for a goal after he was brilliantly denied by Dmitrovic minutes earlier.

Eibar managed three clean sheets in their last four games, excluding their friendly defeat to Toulouse during the international break, but their streak has now come to an end in an all-too-familiar result against the mighty champions.

#3 Barcelona’s French connection fared well

Since his big-money move from Atletico Madrid over the summer, Antoine Griezmann has only shone in patches for Barcelona. The French World Cup winner was an unused substitute during the side’s 4-0 win over Sevilla before the international break but has proven his worth with a splendid performance against Eibar.

Griezmann opened the scoring for the Camp Nou outfit in the 13th minute after latching onto his compatriot Clement Lenglet’s long ball from the deep. The 28-year-old finished neatly from close range before helping the defending champions extend their lead after the break with a superb assist for Lionel Messi.

The former Atletico Madrid star played a vital role in setting up Barcelona’s final goal, which was scored by Luis Suarez eight minutes later.

Fellow France internationals Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti also put in impressive displays at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium. The centre-back duo were instrumental as Barcelona kept their second clean sheet away from home in La Liga this season.

Besides providing the assist for Griezmann’s opener, Lenglet was solid at the back for the Spanish champions, making several vital interceptions. His central defensive partner, Samuel Umtiti, who made his first appearance of the season in the absence of Gerard Pique, gave him able support. The former Lyon man looked a bit rusty at the beginning but grew into a compact defensive figure as the game progressed, making a couple of vital challenges inside the box.

All in all, the French trio in Barcelona’s starting line-up against Eibar played a pivotal role as the club move to the top of the standings, albeit momentarily.