Barcelona 6-1 Celtic: 6 Things We Learned
Barcelona saw off visitors Celtic at the Camp Nou by the score of 6-1 to seal the top spot in their Champions League group. It was a big night for the Catalans, and quite frankly one that was needed.
La Blaugrana now await their opponents in the next round while Celtic have the end of their European adventure this year. Things are about to become tougher than ever, but for now it is time to just enjoy the win.
In this slideshow we will take a look at six things we learned from the match at the Camp Nou and what they mean for both clubs.
*All statistics are courtesy of WhoScored.com
Sergi Roberto Is Ready for a Bigger Role
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Sergi Roberto made a rare start in place of Andres Iniesta against Celtic and put in a terrific performance. Tata Martino has been slowly working him into the squad and the time has come for him to take the next step.
The 21-year-old completed 96 percent of his passes with 103 touches. He also won a dribble and made a few impressive tackles in the middle of the pitch.
Roberto performed as more of a box-to-box midfielder against Celtic and it was just what Barcelona needed. He tracked back well and was very direct with the ball at his feet.
He showed maturity despite his age and at times he even looked like he had played in dozens of Champions League matches.
He was not the best player on the pitch by any means, but Roberto was very solid and consistent. He is starting to make a name for himself and his play is forcing Martino to give him more playing time.
The Defense Can Compete
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For all the stick that the Barcelona defense gets, they played at a high level on Wednesday night. Javier Mascherano was composed and Adriano knew when to stay back.
But the best defensive performances came by the two players who needed it most.
Martin Montoya was absolutely spectacular against Celtic. He gave an assist, was a force going forward and made four tackles. So far he has not showed his best this season, but against Celtic he was flawless.
Gerard Pique may be one of the most talked about defenders in the world, and it isn't because of his talent. Over the past year or so the Catalan has found a knack for making mistakes and costing his team.
That wasn't the case against Celtic.
Besides Neymar, Gerard Pique was Barcelona's best player on the night. He scored a goal, won the ball back countless times and headed away a shot that was headed for an open goal.
Pique has been much better this season than he was the year before, but he still hasn't been at his best. However, on Wednesday he showed just how good he can be and Barcelona fans will be hoping that is a sign of things to come.
It should be mentioned that the defense faced a very disappointing Celtic side, but this is the Champions League and a good performance is a good performance.
Their only blight was giving up the clean sheet with a late goal.
Samaras Did What He Could
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Georgios Samaras is the heart and soul of Celtic. Domestically, the Bhoys may be big time but when it comes to European play Samaras stands out in a major way.
It was no different against Barcelona. The 28-year-old attacked well and even defended for long stretches of the game. It was clear that the team was trying to get him the ball as often as they could and it nearly paid off a few times.
In the end, Samaras scored a consolation goal, but he could have had at least one more.
This was a game in which no one was expecting Celtic to win, but that did not keep them from fighting. Even when the match looked over at halftime, Samaras refused to stop pressing the issue.
Even though the Bhoys did not have what it took to get a result at the Camp Nou, they should be proud to have a player like Samaras who refused to quit and can make an impact in a major way.
Barcelona Needed This
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Over the past week or so, Barcelona has given fans a lot to worry about. Two consecutive defeats brought heavy criticism and it was rightly deserved. But they answered back.
This match was much more important for Barcelona than it seemed. It was not just a game to secure the top place in their group, it was to prove a point.
La Blaugrana shook off the problems and came out firing from the first whistle. Neymar blasted in three goals as others chipped in and the Catalans showed that they can overcome a bad week.
Fans were really wanting to see Barcelona get back to their winning ways and, had they lost this match, chaos would have ensued.
The bad week is now in the past and Barcelona is firing on all cylinders again. There will be many trying moments this season, but La Blaugrana showed they can respond in a major way.
Neymar Had His Best Performance for Barcelona
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There really is no appropriate way to describe Neymar's performance against Celtic. The words incredible and stunning come to mind, but just don't seem good enough.
The Brazilian gave an assist and found the back of the net three times. It was his first hat-trick in the Barcelona shirt, and surely not his last.
Neymar also won 11 dribbles and had nine shots on goal. To be honest, he could have ended up with twice as many goals in this match.
This was the first time Neymar has really been given absolute freedom on the pitch. He ran with that freedom and influenced play all over the field. He needed a match like this to gain confidence and get into a rhythm, but more importantly he showed he is still learning.
It seems as though Neymar is getting better each week. He is still only 21 years old and adapting to Europe, but every time he has a bad run he answers back with a dominant performance.
This was his best performance yet in the Barcelona shirt, but he will have even better games for La Blaugrana in his career.
Take a bow Neymar.
No More Fabregas Up Top?
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Cesc Fabregas is a massively talented player. But he is not a forward.
No matter how many times he features as a false nine for Barcelona, he just doesn't impact the game enough. He may have a good match here or there, but he never really plays great.
After this match, you have to think that Tata Martino has finally seen enough. He started with three real forwards and Barcelona ended up with six goals to show for it.
If that isn't proof enough to stop playing Fabregas in Messi's place, I don't know what is.
It has been clear for a while, but there is no denying it after the win against Celtic. With Messi sidelined, Barcelona must go with a real striker and forwards up top.
Let us all hope that Martino has finally seen what it takes to convince him that Fabregas should not be playing as a striker and that those days are behind us.
What did you learn from Barcelona's thrilling win? What do you make of the match? Leave your thoughts and comments below!
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