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Barcelona's decline apparent in Atletico draw and not even Lionel Messi can fix this mess

Getty Images
Getty Images

Lionel Messi's 700th career goal gave Barcelona a 2-1 lead against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou. But just like on Saturday at Celta Vigo, they could not hang onto it.

Barca led LaLiga by two points when the competition resumed after the enforced break due to coronavirus. Now, they are point behind title rivals Real Madrid and Los Blancos have a game in hand.

The title, as coach Quique Setien admitted after the 2-2 draw, is sliding out of their grasp. Only a spectacular slip-up from Madrid can see Barca retain their crown now. And it is unlikely.

After the tension in recent days which followed an incident at Balaidos where Messi was seen to ignore assistant coach Eder Sarabia, Setien came into this match under pressure.

A fortuitous own goal gave them the lead and also a boost. With fans in the stadium, they might have built on it. But at an empty Camp Nou, Setien saw two more points dropped – the first at home since his arrival in January.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Barca were unhappy after VAR ordered a penalty saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Diego Costa to be retaken, with the German a little way off his line. It was, however, the correct call under the rules of the game.

The Catalans also complained after the video assistant referee declined to look at a possible foul by Jose Maria Gimenez on Gerard Pique.

Pique said after the 0-0 draw at Sevilla recently that he thought it would be very difficult for Barca to win LaLiga. Those remarks were interpreted as a comment on supposed favours for Real Madrid from officials.

And in truth, Barcelona were unlucky with decisions here. Deep down, though, they will also know that they were not good enough. That they are no longer good enough.

Riqui Puig provided moments of real quality in midfield, but Barca struggled to create clear chances for Messi and that is one chief concern in the Setien era.

Messi has scored 11 goals in 17 games since Setien arrived and four of those came in a 5-0 win over Eibar back in February. Since the restart, he has hit three goals in six games, but two have come from the spot.

With Luis Suarez back, Messi was expected to score more (he averaged close to one per game under Valverde, Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola), but the Uruguayan remains short of full fitness and was slow and sluggish against Atleti.

Yet still, he was not substituted as €120 million summer signing Antoine Griezmann was left on the bench until the dying seconds of the game.

(AP)
(AP)

In what was an honest answer but appeared an extraordinary admission, Setien said later: "It's not easy to find a place [for Griezmann] without destabilising the team."

The impression is that, now Suarez is back in the side, he cannot be brought off. Nor Messi, who could probably have done with a rest here and there to keep him fresh for big games like this one.

Setien stayed positive afterwards and said he does not feel questioned. But he will be after a night on which he waited too long to make changes again and could not find the tactics to defeat Atleti.

In the meantime, it becomes more clear with every performance that previous coach Ernesto Valverde was not to blame for all of Barca's woes.

Valverde was sacked in January and made the scapegoat for the team's troubles, yet he had to deal with institutional chaos and work with a small squad amid growing debts and scandals off the pitch.

Under Valverde, Barca were at least winning LaLiga. This season, that now seems unlikely and while Setien has been given a three-and-a-half year contract, it is hard to see how he will survive if he does not claim a trophy.

Not that a coaching change will solve too much. Barca need a rebuilding project now to reshape an ageing squad and suitable signings too after blowing over €350 million on Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele – none of whom have been able to effectively replace Neymar.

With financial problems following the Covid-19 crisis, funds are set to be short this summer anyway and even Messi, after turning 33 last week, might not be around for too much longer to put out all the fires.

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