Top 4 Andres Iniesta Moments in Barcelona Jersey

Don Andres Iniesta!

Words cannot explain how Andres Iniesta manages to pull the rabbit out of the hat every time he touches the ball. No tactical analysis can explain the crucial role he plays in Barcelona’s midfield.

Arguably La Masia's best product in the last 20 years (along with Lionel Messi), Iniesta has hinted at leaving Barcelona at the end of this season. His departure will leave a big hole in Barcelona’s midfield and the Catalans might never fully replace the magician.

Since his debut back in 2002, the midfield maestro has been an irreplaceable part of many a dominant Barcelona side and won 30 major titles. Iniesta continues to conjure up magical moments in almost every game, but some of his moments and goals in the Barcelona jersey will never be forgotten.

Here are top 4 Andres Iniesta moments in Barcelona jersey:

Barcelona vs Sevilla, 2-0 (Copa Del Rey Final, 2016)

The Magician pulled the strings, single-handedly!

Just like this season, the Catalans were targeting yet another treble back in 2015-16. But the things started to go downhill after Barca’s quarter-final exit in the Champions League. After winning the league title by just one point margin, Barcelona had the chance to finish with the domestic double by winning Copa Del Rey.

But those hopes started to falter as Mascherano was shown the red card in the 36th minute of the final. Iniesta, who was having a terrific game anyway, decide to up the ante.

Iniesta took the control of the midfield and started pulling the strings single-handedly. Despite being a man down, he continued to create opportunities for Messi and Neymar by finding gaps in the Sevilla defence. The Spaniard made 3 key passes and was dispossessed only once in 120 minutes.

Iniesta also helped the team defensively as he made 4 out of 4 successful tackles during the game. 100% tackle success in the final, when you are already a man down are not what you'd normally expect from a mainly non-physical player, but Iniesta was ready to mix it up as the occasion needed of him.

Barcelona eventually won the game 2-0, with both goals coming in the extra time. And despite Lionel Messi assisting Alba and Neymar for the goals, Andres Iniesta was named Man of the Match on the night which explains the vital role played by Don Andres in the Final.

Barcelona vs Juventus, 3-1 (Champions League Final, 2015)

Iniesta's 4th UCL title

Don Andres loves playing in the Champions League finals. The Spaniard has not scored in a single final he has played but has created one goal in each of 2009, 2011 and 2015 finals.

In 2015, Iniesta was at the heart of the Barcelona midfield as Xavi was set to retire. Starting the game as the captain, he did not disappoint the Barca fans. He assisted Ivan Rakitic for Barcelona’s first goal of the night just 4 minutes after the kick-off.

The Spaniard sneaked into the penalty box to collect Neymar’s pass and Juve’s sturdy defence could not stop him from placing a square pass to Rakitic for a simple goal. Iniesta continued to dominate the game with his precise passing for the rest of the game. The midfielder’s passing accuracy was 89% during the game and he was rightly awarded Man of the Match on the night.

With his match-winning performance against Juventus, Iniesta became the first player to be awarded Man of the Match in the finals of Euros (2012), FIFA World Cup (2010) and Champions League.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona, 0-4 (El Clasico, 2015-16)

Bernabeu Approves!

You know you are already a legend when Santiago Bernabeu crowd gives you a standing ovation.

That is exactly what transpired in the first El Clasico of 2015-16 season. The Catalans were already at the top of the league while Real Madrid were having a hard time under Rafa Benitez.

But with Lionel Messi on the bench due to injury, it was Madrid’s best chance to win the El Clasico and revive the season. But they had one problem – A man with the armband, Andres Iniesta!

Iniesta was on the top of his game at the Santiago Bernabeu as he toyed with both Madrid’s midfield and defence. The midfielder dragged the white shirts towards him in the 39th minute and simply chipped the ball towards Neymar for Barcelona’s second goal.

The Don Andres wasn’t done yet. In the second half, Neymar returned the favours with a beautiful back-heel for Iniesta at the edge of the box and Iniesta hammered the ball in the top right corner for the 3rd goal of the night.

Barcelona humiliated Real Madrid with a 4-0 victory and Iniesta was substituted in the 77th minute. The magician had completed 65 out of 68 passes in those 77 minutes – for an astonishing pass accuracy figure of 96%!

But then came the moment of beauty. Real Madrid fans got off their seats and applauded the magician for his show. Andres Iniesta became just the third Barcelona player to receive a standing ovation from Madrid fans after Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho. (Not a bad list to be a part of, is it?)

Chelsea vs Barcelona, 1-1 (2nd leg, UCL SF, 2008-09)

The UCL Drama!

What else could possibly be on the top of the list? Andres Iniesta’s best moment in the Barcelona jersey, his most important goal for the Catalan club – the equalizer in the dying moments at the Stamford Bridge.

After a goalless draw at the Camp Nou, the Catalans conceded a goal after just 9 minutes in the second leg. They still needed to score just one goal to win the tie but came nowhere near scoring it.

But, in the third minute of stoppage time, one last chance arrived for Barcelona. Lionel Messi passed the ball to Iniesta, who was waiting just outside the box. And Iniesta, under the extreme pressure of time, score line and angry Chelsea fans – connected sweetly with the ball and sent it in the top right corner with the first-time shot.

Barcelona reached the final of the Champions League and went on to win the trophy by beating Manchester United in Rome with another masterful performance by the Spaniard. But the picture of Andres Iniesta removing his yellow Barcelona jersey and wildly celebrating the goal is still fresh in the memories of the Cules.