Barcelona deservedly beat Leganes at the Camp Nou (2-0) in Matchday 29 of La Liga. Ansu Fati and Lionel Messi (penalty) scored the goals for the Blaugranes. Quique Setien’s Barca, now with 64 points, will continue to lead the Spanish league table ahead of Real Madrid for yet another round.
Here are my 5 Star Players for Barcelona 2-0 Leganes:
Riqui Puig ⭐️
The Catalan youngster only came on as a late substitute, but his inclusion made Barcelona’s attacking game more dynamic and incisive – something that Arthur, who started in the interior position, had not succeeded in doing until that point. As I have been discussing in our The Barcelona Podcast for months, the best way for Barca to be successful is trusting the talents coming ouf of La Masia on a more consistent basis.
Listen to The Barcelona Podcast here:
Junior Firpo ⭐️ ⭐️
Firpo may have only been trusted as a starter due to the unavailability of Jordi Alba, but he responded to Setien’s trust with a solid performance at both ends of the pitch. Sure, still not good enough to challenge Alba as Barcelona’s preferred left-back, but to know that he can respond at this level whenever needed is reassuring.
Clement Lenglet ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lenglet retuned to the starting lineup and Barcelona’s back-line look significantly stronger almost immediately. The French international’s determination and positioning were key to stop Leganes from scoring in the first half, when the game was still tied at 0-0. A very solid performance in his first match in over three months.
Ansu Fati ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ansu Fati was the most surprising inclusion in Quique Setien’s starting eleven, and the youngster certainly did not disappoint. While it is clear his passing and decision-making could have been better at times, his confident strike decided the game at a time in which Barcelona were struggling to break Levante’s well-organised back-line.
It is obvious that the 17 year-old just seems to be touched by a magic wand, a youngster with an ‘extra’ that Culers haven’t seen in any La Masia graduate since Messi. Of course, there will never be another Leo, but this kid surely is special.
Lionel Messi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Messi continues to dominate games as he sees fit, which is tremendous news for Barcelona supporters around the world. The Argentina star was the key attacking reference and was tightly marked once again, but his added sharpness and freshness gave him the edge to do what he does best – leading Barcelona’s attack.
Here’s hoping that Messi continues to perform at this level for the remainder of the season – We could very well be celebrating a couple of titles in our The Barcelona Podcast in the next couple of months if he does.
To go along with Francesc’s 5 Stars, Dan provides a tactical breakdown of the win.
