Lionel messi shouted: ‘Stupid, Stupid! Come here!’ outside the home dressing room at the Etihad on Tuesday night as a voice from Manchester City mocked him after the 3-1 defeat.The fact that that altercation and Sergio Aguero admitting that he handled the ball in the build-up to the third goal were not taking up a great deal of airtime and column inches after the 3-1 scoreline summed up the concerns over such a poor Barcelona performance.
Never mind Messi’s shouting match, what about Barcelona’s match – their first defeat in a group game in the Champions League since September 2014. Messi now has seven goals in three games and clearly is not the problem.
It was an evening to forget for Javier Mascherano (left), Lionel Messi (centre) and Neymar as they were beaten 3-1 by Manchester City in the Champions League
Having scored a hat-trick in the return fixture a fortnight ago, Messi and his team slumped
He was calmed down by Aguero after Tuesday night’s incident although Barcelona match-day delegate Carlos Naval picked up the baton shouting: ‘show your face,’ to the unidentified voice.
But Messi will not be winning a fifth Champions League unless Barcelona improve on their second-half performance.
Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia got into the Bonfire night spirit of things, likening Messi to Guy Fawkes - trying and failing to blow up James I or Pep Guardiola in this case.
Barca’s gunpowder plot had fizzled out like a damp Catherine Wheel and while it was true that if they pick up four points from their last two games they will top the group, this was not the first time this season they have been comfortably beaten.
It was also true that they had lost because of individual errors that can easily be ironed out, and if they had to lose to someone then let it be Pep.
'Tangled' read the headline on the front cover of Wednesday's Sport after Barcelona's loss
'Blackout' was the headline on the front of Mundo Deportivo as Barca crashed to defeat
City's players gather in a huddle after their third goal against Luis Enrique's La Liga giants
BARCELONA'S CL GAMES
September 13 Celtic (H) 7-0
September 28 Borussia Monchengladbach (A) 2-1
October 19 Manchester City (H) 4-0
November 1 Manchester City (A) 1-3
November 23 Celtic (A)
December 6 Borussia Monchengladbach (H)
'It was not Barca’s fate to leave him with one foot out of the competition,’ was El Periodico’s take on how the night played out.
But certain individual performances have set off the klaxons. They were flat and uninspiring at the weekend and this was more of the same on a big Champions League night. The most frequently asked question after the final whistle was: ‘What’s happened to Sergio Busquets?’
Some Barcelona supporters complained about his recent omission from the Ballon d’Or 50 player shortlist. But does his form over the last year really merit him a place in that select group?
When Busquets first emerged at Barcelona, Guardiola was his coach, Xavi was his midfield partner and whenever he raised his head he had Dani Alves, Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba all available for a pass.
Sergio Busquets wasn't his usual self against City and question marks have been raised
Busquets tries to wrestle the ball from City's Raheem Sterling during Tuesday night's game
The options have diminished over the last two seasons with the departure of first Xavi and then Alves. Now with Alba and Iniesta injured it’s become more difficult for him to keep the ball.
Barca don’t play the same way under Luis Enrique and that means he has to spend more time winning the ball back and, on Tuesday at least, he was too slow for City’s slickers.
Alongside him Barca have that Iniesta-shaped hole to fill and they look like struggling to do so between now and January when he is set to return.
Denis Suarez played in his position at the weekend but the former Manchester City youth-teamer still looks short of confidence. Rafinha is not lacking in the self-esteem department but his natural extinct is as a forward not back-and-forth as a midfielder must do.
Pep Guardiola got one over his former club and their manager Luis Enrique
Andre Gomes fouls David Silva during Tuesday night's game at the Etihad Stadium
On Tuesday night Andre Gomes played the part and put in his best performance in a Barca shirt to date and yet still when the time came for him to get Barcelona back in the game he hit the crossbar instead of the back of the net when teed up by Suarez.
Barca also miss Gerard Pique when their backs are to the wall. Samuel Umititi did well enough and Mundo Deportivo columnist Xavier Bosch wrote that he easily won his duel with John Stones in the battle between the two young central defenders that made big money moves in the summer. But Pique’s character still left a hole that no one filled.
Neymar was the pick of the forwards but picked up another booking and may now choose to go through the charade of incurring a yellow against Celtic so as not to be banned in the knockout stage.
It was apparent against Manchester City how Barcelona are missing the injured Iniesta
Key defender Gerard Pique is also facing a spell on the sidelines through injury
Neymar has few fans at Celtic Park for antics in previous seasons. If he’s getting booked deliberately on a night that Celtic will play what they will consider their final, there could be even more fireworks than last night at the Etihad.
What if Celtic give Barca the same bloody nose they gave Guardiola’s Manchester City?
Suddenly that takes top of the group status into the last match. Which incidentally Barcelona will have to play just three days after facing Real Madrid in the league.
Suddenly things have, as the front page of Sport put it, got a little bit ‘tangled’. Tangled up in City sky blue.
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