Barcelona Scrape Victory over Celta Vigo, but Is Luis Enrique's Style Safe?

Lionel Messi couldn't do it, Luis Suarez couldn't do it and Neymar did it, but it was disallowed. In the end, Barcelona turned to Jeremy Mathieu to win them this game.

The man whose signing was mocked in the summer because of his age, his occasional clumsiness and the way that Barcelona paid far too much for him is the man who has scored two of the most important goals of Barcelona's season.

Mathieu has embodied the transition of Luis Enrique's Barcelona. From the bumbling performance he put in during the first Clasico—at the Santiago Bernabeu—to a rock in the defence when needed and scoring crucial goals at the other end, including in the second game against Real Madrid.

The same way Enrique's side, after that wobble in late autumn and the "crisis" in January pulled itself together and went on a long winning streak.

But is Mathieu the hero Barcelona wants?

At the moment, this precise moment, yes. Absolutely yes. Without a doubt, yes.

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Is this side, the side grinding out matches like this 1-0 win at Balaidos, dependent on defenders, the side Barcelona wants to be?

Again, between now and June 6, if it ends up with two or even three trophies, then yes.

But Enrique's style does not seem sustainable over a long period of time.

If you ask most Barcelona fans whether they'd be happy to see Barcelona still playing in this way next season, the answer would probably be no.

There is a lot to be said for pragmatism. Jose Mourinho has built a career on it.

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At Barcelona, things are different. This game against Celta Vigo was a Mourinho win. A winning goal from a set piece, headed in at the back post by a huge defender.

The three best players on the pitch in Barcelona shirts, in reverse order, were Mathieu, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique.

And this is not the first time Barcelona have played like this under Enrique. The Celta Vigo win was reminiscent of the game against Valencia, where only a last-minute Busquets winner earned them the points.

At times, despite having arguably the most attractive, attacking trio in Europe, Barcelona's strike force sometimes looks bereft of ideas.

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That's partly down to form, with Neymar being incredible at the start of the season and barely credible at the moment. His first touch is gone, his belief is gone and he needs a confidence shot. Suarez, on the other hand, started low and then rose in confidence and form. This happens.

But the point is that if all the power lies in the front three and none of them are at their best, like against Celta Vigo, then you need some invention from the midfield.

This Barcelona doesn't really offer that. Andres Iniesta has been below his best for a long while, Xavi is leaving and Rafinha still has a long way to go.

Is relying on an all-star front three, with the occasional big signing the way forward? Or is it better to build and nurture a team from the youth academy, all schooled in playing the same way?

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This issue splits Barcelona fans. The ones who believe their team really is more than a club will lean toward the latter; the others are thrilled to have a galaxy of stars lining up for them.

Per Sport, Barcelona are desperate to sign Paul Pogba. That would certainly boost the midfield, but it moves further away from the ideals that Pep Guardiola's successful reign was built on.

People who strongly believe that Barcelona's possession football is the best way to succeed may be quick to chalk the win over Celta Vigo up to fortune, but two things should be dispelled immediately.

Firstly, the idea that scoring a winner from a set piece is down to luck. It is not. Barcelona have scored from 13 set pieces this season, more than in the past two years combined. They also look far less threatened when other teams have dead-ball situations. Here are the reasons.

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They have more physical players than they did before. Mathieu and Claudio Bravo are both taller than Carles Puyol and Victor Valdes, offering more resilience at the back from corners and free kicks.

Mathieu, at 1.90 metres can also use that going forward, as we saw in El Clasico and against Celta Vigo.

Luis Suarez is also better in the air than the departed Alexis Sanchez, and likewise Rafinha and Ivan Rakitic compared to Cesc Fabregas and Cristian Tello, who also left.

Then there is Juan Carlos Unzue. Enrique's assistant is a set piece master and gives the players clear and direct instructions on how to attack and defend them.

Graham Hunter details this in an ESPN piece, writing:

"

Corners used to be this squad's Achilles heel. But they stuck in, and, honestly, it never felt like Barcelona would be vulnerable. It's a testament to the time Unzue and Luis Enrique put into tactical analysis and defending all week.

Unzue has them organised, he has them treating strategy like an art form. He has their attention and their involvement.

Bravo to him. "Thank you" from Claudio Bravo, too, I'll bet. The goalkeeper at Barcelona is no longer the last man on the ramparts of the Alamo when facing an opposition dead-ball situation.

"

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The other thing is that Luis Enrique is lucky. He is not. He has done several things to improve Barcelona, and Albert Masnou runs through them for Sport.

The whole article is worth reading, but to sum it up, Enrique's tough training sessions, Unzue's set piece work and the early-season rotation have all been key.

The question is: Is this good enough for Barcelona's fans, if the team scrapes out results without much style?

And the answer will be yes, if it brings success. The second it doesn't, the wolves will be at Enrique's door.