Lionel Messi Rallies Barcelona to Late Draw vs. Athletic Bilbao

Barcelona went a third straight match without a win on Saturday after they drew 1-1 at home to Athletic Bilbao, marking their second successive draw at the Camp Nou after being held by Girona last Sunday.

Lionel Messi was rested but came off the bench to set up a crucial 85th-minute equaliser for fellow substitute Munir El Haddadi after Oscar de Marcos bamboozled the Barca defence to volley in the opener.

The result lifts Los Leones one place to 15th in La Liga for the time being. Real Madrid, meanwhile, can clinch the league's lead outright if they can defeat Atletico Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu later on Saturday.

Barca Show They Lack Finishers When Messi Magic Absent

It's a burden that seems to follow any team lucky enough to have such major stars among their ranks, whether it's Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar, but Barcelona showed on Saturday that they can look second-rate without Messi.

A team of Barca's stature cannot be so reliant on one player for their goals, and AS agreed there wasn't a lot to see in the first half without him:

Ernesto Valverde made an attempt to rest his top star (and Sergio Busquets), and while a drop in cohesion was evident, it was the sheer number of missed chances by others that is most concerning.

There was a gulf in creativity where five-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi would usually be present, but more than that, it was difficult to watch as even the likes of Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho fluffed their lines.

Blogger Jordi Pasqual argued Busquets' absence to be just as, if not more notable: 

The Camp Nou hosts were ultimately fortunate to go in at the break only down by one goal, and they could have trailed by more had Inaki Williams and Athletic's other stars been more accurate in front of goal.

At the time of Messi's 55th-minute introduction, Barca had nine shots and had found the target with five of those.

But there was a sense that had Messi had one of those five chances, the hosts would have at least been level:

Predictably, it was Messi who forced the equaliser for Munir and put the pressure upon the Athletic box with the drive his team-mates simply weren't showing before his introduction.

Messi possesses the battering ram and the knowhow to use it efficiently, but Barcelona showed on Saturday that nobody else in the squad can do the same.

Pressure Mounts for Valverde After Another Lacklustre Showing

It's not where supporters might have envisioned themselves at this point in the season, but questions are already being asked of Valverde's future at Barcelona after going a third straight league game without victory.

Clement Lenglet's red card made things tough for Sunday's 2-2 draw with Girona, but there were few excuses for Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Leganes.

Blogger Rafael Hernandez suggested the writing could be on the wall for the tactician:

Valverde has persevered with a 4-3-3 this season despite signs it may not be best suited to him or necessarily all those under his command. Then, there have been questions of his selections and when he's deciding to rest players.

Reuters reporter Richard Martin noted the contrast in how Valverde felt at the Camp Nou on Saturday compared to previous visits:

Last season's La Liga triumph was proof the two parties can work together well, but it was also his rotation policy that drew ire for the team's UEFA Champions League exit at AS Roma's hands.

Three games without a win in La Liga leaves Real, who have a new coach in Julen Lopetegui, with a chance to move clear at the top, and if the pressure wasn't felt by Valverde before, he'll be well aware of it now.

Gerard Pique Should Face the Drop After Athletic Display

It's an unfortunate time for Samuel Umtiti to be sidelined with a knee injury, as Gerard Pique's performance on Saturday showed he might be feeling the effects of age, fatigue or both.

As far as captain's displays go, better leadership was needed when the 31-year-old failed to get up with the rest of his defensive line and play the offside trap for De Marcos' opener.

Journalist Sid Lowe highlighted the error:

The mistake came in the 41st minute, a period of the game in which legs tend to get tired and some start to eye the halfway tunnel for a respite—at least this seemed to be the case for Pique's oversight.

It's not the first time the veteran centre-back has contributed a decisive error in recent outings, and despite some impressive plays and a couple of laudable tackles, Pique was largely disappointing:

Sportswriter Muhammad Butt had a specific theory behind the defender's waning powers:

Lenglet replaced Umtiti to leave Thomas Vermaelen as the bench option. Despite the Belgian not holding the grandest of reputations at the Camp Nou, he could still be a better alternative to Pique for now, who seems more of a liability than he ever has.

A move to the bench could work to motivate the retired Spain international, who isn't giving the type of performances one would expect from a player who hung up his national team boots to focus on the Blagruana.

What's Next?

Barcelona next travel to face Tottenham Hotspur in their UEFA Champions League group on Wednesday, while Athletic face a Basque derby clash at home to Real Sociedad on Friday.