Lionel Messi's Importance to Barcelona Increases with Club's Defensive Issues

Lionel Messi is unquestionably one of the best players in the world. If Barcelona are to win La Liga and/or the Champions League, he may need to be even more.

As we've often seen in the past, Messi can help paper over whatever tactical cracks the club may have.

Arsene Wenger couldn't have summed it up better after Barcelona's 4-1 win in the 2010 Champions League quarter-final second leg. Wenger famously called Messi a "PlayStation" footballer, per Goal.com's Zack Wilson.

"I think he can take advantage of every mistake you make. Barcelona are a very good side but of course they have Messi who can make the difference at any moment in the game," the Gunners manager added.

A manager can spend hours upon hours on a plan for Barca. Then Messi runs 35 yards, eludes five defenders and scores, and that game plan becomes utterly worthless.

Of course, Barcelona didn't win multiple Champions League and La Liga titles by being reliant on only one player. Messi, though, has always been the straw that stirs the drink, as baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson might say.

Take a look at how Reuters' match report from Barca's 3-1 win over Real Betis on Saturday begins, via The Guardian:

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Lionel Messi scored twice for Barcelona in a laboured home victory over the bottom side Real Betis as the champions stayed hard on the heels of the leaders, Atletico Madrid, who earlier beat Villarreal 1-0. The result means Barca are a point behind Atletico with six matches remaining, including a clash between the sides at the Camp Nou on the final day of the season.

Barca were well short of their best against a Betis side who showed impressive fight despite being eight points adrift at the bottom and having little chance of avoiding relegation.

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At home, the Catalans had a hard time brushing aside the 20th-place team in the league. Once again, though, Messi lifted his team out of the morass, notching a brace. WhoScored.com named him man of the match:

Manu Fernandez

It could be argued that no player has been more vital to his club's success than the four-time Ballon d'Or winner over the last decade or so. Barcelona's 7-0 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final last season was evidence to that point.

At the moment, the club's problems at the back are placing even more pressure on the Argentine star.

Gerard Pique will be out for four weeks, according to BBC Sport. By the time he gets back on the pitch, it may be too late for the Catalans. Throw that in with Victor Valdes' season-ending injury and Carles Puyol's continued fight to stay fit, and you've got a makeshift defence for Barcelona.

Marc Bartra and Pinto, respectively, have been deputised as their replacements. Bartra shows promise, but he's nowhere near the quality of Pique, and Pinto is a major step down from Valdes.

Barcelona have always been weakest at the back, but taking such bellwethers out of the team will only lead the opposition to smell blood in the water.

The biggest reason why Barca's opponents won't throw everything forward is Messi. Guys like Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Alexis Sanchez and even Neymar all provide the body blows before the 26-year-old Argentine delivers the knockout blow.

Without Messi at his best, Barcelona's attack becomes a little more toothless, and opponents would respond as a result, especially with the club's defensive frailties. As long as he's healthy and wreaking havoc in the final third, though, nobody's going to radically alter their approach to playing Barca.

If anybody can shoulder this kind of added weight, it's Lionel Messi.