Why Lionel Messi vs. Gabi Will Be Key Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid Battle
If any forward went four games without finding the net, they would start to worry about their form. When that forward is Lionel Messi, it sets alarm bells ringing.
Barcelona's talisman, the best player in the world, has gone 362 minutes without putting the ball between posts and crossbar. The last time he went this long without scoring for his club was in 2011.
It is no coincidence that this has coincided with the first time under Luis Enrique that Barcelona have failed to win for three league matches.
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Barcelona won the last time Messi scored, in the 88th minute against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League, on March 16.
In the four games since, the only time they have emerged triumphant was in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou, and that was thanks to an idiotic red card for Fernando Torres which scuppered the visitors' game plan.
The others saw them draw 2-2 with Villarreal on March 20, lose the Clasico 2-1 at home against Real Madrid on April 2 and tumble 1-0 at Anoeta against Real Sociedad last weekend.
Messi scored 10 goals in the six Barcelona games before that. Although his barren run started before the international break, most are attributing the transatlantic voyage he made for the reason he looks sluggish.
He played two matches for Argentina and scored, although his goal was from the penalty spot.
A lot of what Messi does isn't necessarily reflected by goal statistics, but he doesn't have any assists either in the last four matches.
Against Atletico, Gabi Fernandez shackled the Argentinian brilliantly. The 32-year-old defensive midfielder played out of his skin in the first half, shutting down Messi at every opportunity.
With Lucas Hernandez and Diego Godin a rock-wall at the back, Messi dropped deeper to get the ball, coming inside from the right as he so often does. But all he found was Gabi, who got a vital foot in on several occasions to nick the ball away from Messi or prevent him receiving it.
The Rojiblancos know they just need a 1-0 win to beat Barcelona and reach the Champions League semi-finals. Defence is their strong point and attack is Barcelona's. So Atletico's game plan will be to prevent the Catalans getting a vital away goal, and then look for one strike of their own.
Gabi will be part of a midfield that will feature Saul Niguez, Koke and Augusto Fernandez. Yannick Carrasco is likely to be used as support for Antoine Griezmann up front.
Carrasco and Griezmann were substituted as Atletico came from behind to see off Espanyol on Saturday afternoon in Cornella, to rest them for the second leg of this game.
Whether their talents can be utilised will largely depend on Atletico's defensive work. And on top of the actual back four and goalkeeper, if Gabi can do the same job on Messi, it will be key to defining the outcome of the tie.
In the second half of the first leg, Atletico were overrun, with Messi playing reasonably well. That was largely because Torres’ red card in the first period sabotaged Diego Simeone’s tactical script.
However, thanks to the sterling defensive efforts of Atletico, they are very much alive and kicking—the latter specifically to Barcelona’s chagrin—in Europe.
You would back Messi to turn things around. Despite his recent form and Barcelona’s as a whole, they are still favourites to progress to the semi-finals of the tournament.
It was on this ground, at the Calderon in 2015, Messi exacted revenge on Atletico for winning the league at Camp Nou precisely a year earlier. He twisted and jinked in the box and then dispatched the ball past Jan Oblak.
Gabi couldn’t stop him that day. But if he can on Wednesday night, Atletico will be halfway through to the next phase.
