The Spanish league is fully back in action after the break, and while some teams are unable to handover a new year gift to their fans, others have remained resolute in their quest to keep their fire burning despite the odds. At the beginning of the season, Lionel Messi didn't hide is feeling as regards his quest to conquer Europe. Maybe what he didn't tell us was his eagerness to bag a treble this season as well.
The first Sunday of the year witnessed some interesting matches and their somewhat surprising results. A team like Madrid will be sad to look back at the result of their game, as Real Sociedad finally dealt a blow to their title hopes. Is this the Madrid we knew last season, the Madrid that won the Champions League three consecutive times? Obviously not!
After Carzola took it upon himself to deny The Los Blancos three points in their previous league game that saw them draw 2-2 with Villarreal, many would have thought they would pacify their fans at the Bernabue against Real Sociedad, but the visitors only came to add salt to their injuries. Humbling the European champions to 0-2 defeat in front of their home fans, it's an eyesore.
The evening saw an in form Barcelona side move give points clear on the league table, as they humbled a resilient Getafe side to a 1-2 away win. The team is cruising to the title after 18 games with 50 points to their name. The Barcelona have had some little hiccups this season, however, with the form of the Argentine captain, the team have remained motivated to stride on.
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Yesterday win saw the league champions widen the gap from initial three points to five, thanks to the 1-1 result between Sevilla and Athletico Madrid earlier. Diego Simeone's side have been mounting pressure on the table leaders for some time now, but with a five point gap, Barcelona can have a breathing space.
Barcelona have beaten Getafe Ten Times at Coliseum Alfonso Perez and the only side to have done that the most. It was a tensed match as Barcelona will to an extent count themselves lucky to have walked away with all three points. Getafe seemed to have found the back of the net earlier, but the goal was cancelled due to a foul committed on a Barcelona player in the box. Maybe the result would have been different if that goal was allowed.
However, barcelona always have their way even when the team is performing below their standard, Thanks to the brilliance of Messi and the super strike of Luis Suarez. In fact, the game wasn't one of those Barcelona's awesome outings, but a team with such classical players will always have a way of wriggling themselves to victory.
Barcelona seems to have put their little in-house issues behind them. The uncertainty of Vidal's place on the team seems to have been laid to rest, as the Chilean attacking midfielder is becoming a regular choice for Valverde. With the current form of their Talisman Messi and the team's spirit, many have already ceded the league to Barcelona subconsciously.
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Messi and Suarez, A Perfect Blend Of Class For Barcelona.
While many may have doubted the leadership of Lionel Messi as Barcelona captain, many others didn't see him performing beyond what he has been giving in past years. Some said The Argentine living legend and father of three was beginning to wane, and it's high time Barcelona starts looking for a substitute to fill his shoes.
However, the season have seen Messi getting better, creating new records and still breaking old ones. Without him on the pitch, Barcelona always seems a different team all together. If he isn't scoring, he is dribbling the opponents and giving defense piercing assists, either way, you just can't keep him inactive for 90minutes.
Yesterday saw another masterful display by the genius, and of course Luis Suarez was there to ads sparkles to the game with a thunderstorm volley that ensured Barcelona's three points against a determined Getafe Side. Few months ago, the Uruguayan topnotch forward came under criticism for lack of goals. They also said his feet's were beginning to get tired and it was time for Barcelona to let him go.
Yesterday saw Messi netting his 399 goal in La Liga, just one goal more to make it 400 goals. Also in his last sixteen games against Getafe, The Argentine have found the net 13 good times. That's just sublime! If I was a lecturer, I think he deserves a distinction.
However, this season has seen Suarez prove many wrong, as he continues to bang in goals for the Catalans. One of his best moments this season was the El Clasico, which saw him net a hat-trick against Madrid in a game that witnessed the absence of Messi.
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He stood in for the Argentine when he was injured and many were happy to see him drive the attack those periods. From his days at Liverpool to his current adventure in Barcelona, Suarez remains one of the deadliest strikers in the world.
Barcelona forward Luis Suarez spoke after the team's 2-1 win at Getafe in which he scored a magical volley. "It was very hard and tricky with so many people in the way, but I managed to hit it well," said Suarez of his goal.
When asked of what he had to say about the Argentine, Suarez said "Leo (Messi) is the best player in the world, wherever he plays. He's got details of a different class of player and to share the pitch with him is incredible."
It took the goals of both Messi and Suarez to emerge with three points in yesterday's 1-2 win against Getafe. Barcelona waited till the 20th minute to draw the first blood, as Messi showed why some consider him as the greatest of all time. With Suarez long range Volley cutting through the defense into the net, Barcelona are now five points clear on the league table.
The duo's combination this season is seen as one of the best in Europe if not the best. Messi is currently topping the goal scorers chart with 16 goals to his name this season in 16 appearances. Luis Suarez is second on the scorers log with twelve goals in 17 appearances in the league this season.
With Barcelona having scored 50 goals in total this season in the league, only Messi and Suarez have 28 of those goals, that's two goals higher than the entire goals of their arch rivals Madrid. The European champions have scored only 26 goals in La lagi this season and are ten points behind Barcelona.
Do you think Barcelona have won the league already, or do you still see the possibility of them losing their spot to another team. Which team could that be?
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