Last night saw Barcelona ease past Ajax in a 3-1 victory, but is this the Barca of old or is this the team which has struggled when the going gets tough again? At half time it would seem as though Barca were back to the best, having cruised into a 2-0 lead through goals from Neymar and Messi. They missed a host of chances too - Iniesta saw his chip saved after a surging run and Pedro crashed a low drive of the post. The second goal was Barca at their best; Iniesta picked up the ball, turned and picked an exquisite pass to Messi whose control was immaculate and his shot squirmed past Cillessen for 2-0.
However, the second half resembled the Barca of last season. They were a little laboured in possession and their soft underbelly showed again as they let Ajax back in the game. A scrappy effort from young forward Anwar El Ghazi made it 2-1 with not long to go. Fortunately for the Catalan giants they sealed the win in injury time with a neat finish from substitute Sandro Ramirez.
You can make excuses for Barca - they took off Messi and Neymar with 25 minutes to go which would damage any team's forward potential, but they still have an exploitable defence from the looks of this game, yet they haven't conceded a goal in the league. It's a strange situation they find themselves in, as they are scoring for fun and not conceding against league teams, yet they are still not impervious in Europe, having lost to PSG and conceding to Ajax.
I don't think this team will ever get to the level of the ridiculous team that won everything under Pep Guardiola. The fear factor is gone. Teams now come to the Nou Camp and know they can score, whereas before they were happy to get a kick. So what's changed? Though the attack is arguably better, especially with Suarez, it's clear that Barca miss Puyol and Xavi. They need a leader, a warrior in the heart of the defence, and that's what Puyol was. He made every tackle, every header and also was a threat at set-pieces. He wasn't the most glamourous player but he was extremely important and he made them so watertight at the back, a quality which now you cannot level at Barca.
Xavi is a big miss too, or at least the Xavi of 5 years ago. Ivan Rakitic was seen by many, including me, as a fantastic signing and good value too, but he isn't Xavi. He has the natural ability, but not the intelligence and speed of thought to play the same role. That's not a criticism of Rakitic, but more a demonstration of just how good Xavi was that even a midfielder like Rakitic looks out of place in Catalonia. This means that they cannot control games in the same manner as they used to which makes them easier to counter and easier to defend against because they can't play at the same tempo.
Do Barcelona have enough to win the Champions League? Yes, they do. They may not be the best defensively but they will score goals against any side in the world. Credit must go to Enrique for getting the best out of Neymar and bringing Messi back up to the level that he might not have been at last season.
The real test is El Clásico. This is a game even more intriguing than usual for a myriad of reasons. Suarez will probably play at least some part in the game and it will be interesting to see how he fits in to this front line that has looked so dangerous already. Almost more importantly we shall see if Barca's defence can continue it's impressive record in the league against the almost inhuman scoring prowess of Cristiano Ronaldo, amongst others. We will also be able to see if Neymar can continue his form and become the player that many people hoped he would become.
Barca are still scary, they are still one of the best, but there are still issues which need to be ironed out and El Clásico is the biggest test of the season so far. What a game that promises to be.
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