A Messi too only shouted with a luxury goal 700, but Barcelona is still trapped in its impotence

Maximilian Uria

06/30/2020 - 19:59

• Clarín.com
• sports

Lionel Messi's 700th goal did not reach Barcelona to beat Atlético de Madrid , nor did the Catalan cast with the appearances of La Pulga to win games and fight LaLiga. Messi is too alone, as alone as ever on Spanish soil. That is why Barcelona drew 2-2 against the Cholo Simeone team and that is why it will almost certainly lose the tournament at the hands of Real Madrid. It takes more than Messi's magic for that to happen: it needs a miracle.

Barcelona is a team that does not play well - neither can it be said that it plays poorly - and so it stands to reason that it leaves points on the way and that it runs out of strength to fight the tournament. Barça was one point behind Real Madrid that, if they beat Getafe on Thursday, will move away to 4 units when 15 remain in dispute. 

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Messi scores his 700th goal against Atlético de Simeone

All eyes are now on coach Quique Setién and his verbose assistant, Eder Sarabia. Losing the local tournament with Barcelona is synonymous with failure and the permanence of the 61-year-old coach in the club is hanging by a thread. And that thread is getting thinner. During the week the Catalan leaders met at the DT's house to offer him support and trust. This is known to be the step prior to dismissal, in Barcelona, ​​Argentina and the rest of the world. In Catalonia, are you longing for the good Ernesto Valverde, who won the two leagues he played and who was kicked out in January? Will Pep Guardiola's return be possible, as some media in England slide?

The divorce between the squad and the coaching staff can be read in the local media, but it can also be glimpsed inside the court : nobody is killed by the coach. Barcelona ties Atlético de Madrid and the players seem to be more resigned than angry. Disappointment quickly overcomes rebellion and the answers do not appear. 

Twice Barcelona was in advantage, although it was never more than the Cholo team , who still does not beat Messi and company for the local tournament.Belgian Yannick Carrasco drove all the local defense crazy: he was penalized twice by Saúl. Barça's first advantage came from a goal against Diego Costa after Messi's corner kick when the visit was better planted. But 7 minutes later the mattress tied ... 

Lionel Messi, all his goals From first to last

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Later Messi almost scored one of those goals he did a hundred times in his career, although the ball was kissing the right corner of Oblak. The goalkeeper also stifled his scream after a detour on a free kick.

In the second half, in the heads-up of the penalty, Messi did not fail : he punctured her and with luxury he celebrated the 700 of his career. Yes, six days after his 33rd birthday, the Argentine phenomenon reached 700 goals as a professional, something that only five other players have achieved in history: Pelé, Romario, Müller, Cristiano Ronaldo and Puskas. In that exclusive elite, there is now a place for Rosario's crack. The 700 goals correspond to the 630 that he has in Barcelona and 70 in the Major Team. Friendships with the culé team and their participation in youth teams are not taken into account.

📽 - Messi's penalty.pic.twitter.com/GwEqLNq8i6

Neither with the advantage after the genius of Messi did Barcelona feel the winner and 12 minutes later Atlético tied him again with a penalty from Saúl. Barcelona showed the worst face after equality. It was 30 minutes out of nowhere. Setien was not encouraged by the changes and recently sent the Frenchman Antoine Griezmann to the field in the 89th minute ...

Atlético de Madrid missed a good opportunity to beat Barcelona by LaLiga, which they did not do 20 games ago, 17 of them with Simeone as coach. El Cholo could not erase a negative record: it never was winner of the Camp Nou since he is in Spain. Altogether he directed 13 times, tied 6 and lost 7; he got just 15 percent of the points at stake, something that draws a lot of attention for Simeone's brilliant campaign in Atlético.

"It was an entertaining game with different moments. We from the start looked for our speed. At all times I saw that the team was closed and had a quick transition. The team tried to defend itself in an orderly manner and in each counterattack there was danger," Cholo said later. 2-2. And he decided not to comment on the late entry of his former manager Griezmann. "Without words," he blurted out. 

"I do not feel discussed at all. I am used to dealing with difficult situations and this will be an anecdote after a while," coach Quique Setien explained at a press conference. He added: "I feel supported by the dressing room, obviously. I am not going to reveal how the meeting with the leaders developed or what was said in it. We are convinced that we can continue moving forward. We remain strong, eager to try to winning the points we have left, although we know that we have it more and more complicated. Leaving these points means that we really move away from the possibility of the title ".