Has F.C. Barcelona already won the League?
The Catalan team won a crucial match in the hands of Messi and removed any doubts about its leadership
The Spanish League 2017-2018 has had a clear dominator: FC Barcelona. The team 'culé' is the leader of the League since the third match played on September 9, 2017. Since that game, where the team thrashed its rival, RCD Espanyol, the Catalan team has not left the championship’s leadership. The squad has been unstoppable and has dominated in its entirety the championship. The club has already reached the final of the Copa del Rey, and in the Champions League is one step away from the quarterfinals.
However, in the last month some doubts arose due to several matches in which it did not win. Additionally, Atlético de Madrid, second place in the League, was making an impressive climb in the league competition. However, Barcelona did not succumb to these situations and distanced any shadow by winning its biggest pursuer.
The knock on the table
FC Barcelona tied matches in the Spanish league, for example the one against RCD Espanyol in matchday 22, the game against Getafe in matchday 23, and the contest against Las Palmas in matchday 26. These ties generated the Barça lost its considerable advantage of more than 10 points over the second classified, Atlético de Madrid, the club they met on matchday 27 on March 4.
The doubts darken the 'culé' atmosphere, because the great advantage it had could be reduced to only two points if Atlético won the league commitment. Barcelona came to the soccer event with great commitment and concentration, and at the hands of its best player, Lionel Messi, it defeated Atlético de Madrid by a goal to zero.
Barça not only distanced doubts and shadows, but also distanced the second-placed team from its new leadership. The league has taken an almost incorrigible course in favor of Barcelona and its players know it. "This victory is a knock on the table," said Jordi Alba, one of the undisputed holders of the team led by Spaniard Ernesto Valverde.
Is the team that has Messi the winner?
Lionel Messi, the Argentine player of 30 years, is considered by many people around the world as the best player in history. This season, the player establishes more reasons to enlarge this sign. 'La Pulga' is the current scorer of the league with 24 annotations and he is the maximum assistant of the Spanish season with 12 assists. That is to say, Messi is the best player of the whole championship.
"If we put our jersey to Messi, we won," said Atletico de Madrid coach Diego Simeone, after his team was defeated by a masterful Messi goal. The effectiveness and the imbalance generated by the Argentine are irrefutable. The player has recently achieved two brands that deserve recognition:
- Messi achieved the 600th goal in his football career.
- The footballer became the first player of the last thirty years in the Spanish league to get three goals of direct foul in three consecutive matches.
The supremacy of Lionel Messi is unquestionable.
The Barcelona, with goals, defensive security, and colorful game is leading the Spanish league. The champion of the league, if everything continues as it has been until now, will be the Catalan club.
The team has already secured the dispute of another tournament: the Copa del Rey, which will be against Sevilla in the final that will be played on April 21. In the UEFA Champions League, the club 'culé' has a favorable outlook, because in the last 16 phase it will face England's Chelsea in the Camp Nou, a team with which it tied a match.
In addition, the lousy level in the league of its historic archrival, Real Madrid CF, which is in third place at 15 points away, shows that it is only a matter of time for the Catalans to lift their title number 25. Despite the great level shown by Atlético de Madrid, the strength of Barcelona could glimpse the title from early March.
LatinAmerican Post | Javier Aldana
Translated from “ ¿F.C. Barcelona ya ganó la Liga?”
