BARCELONA, Spain — Ernesto Valverde has worked two wonders in his first season in charge of Barcelona.
Lionel Messi no longer plays every second of every match, and Barcelona has a defense that matches the caliber of its attack.
For a second time, Valverde flouted his predecessors’ policy of playing Messi in practically every match in the Champions League. Barcelona’s star rested for the first hour of its 2-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon in their final group match on Tuesday.
Messi went on in the 62nd minute, just three minutes after Paco Alcacer headed Barcelona in front at Camp Nou. Messi then cued an attack with a through pass for Denis Suarez, whose cross was turned into his own net by Sporting defender Jeremy Mathieu in stoppage time.
Messi recently said that at age 30 he understands that “the season is long and you have to take care of yourself.” He also didn’t start Barcelona’s 0-0 draw at Juventus two weeks ago, and was used as a second-half substitute.
“We always think that Messi can change the match and make us play better,” Valverde said about the improvement in his team after Messi went on. “We know that our attack flows through him, thanks to his finishing touch and his ability to start our attacks. He sees passes nobody else does.”
The Spanish side also confirmed its new-found strength under Valverde of disheartening rivals with an ironclad defense.
Neymar may have taken his irreplaceable verve out of Barcelona’s arsenal when he bolted for Paris-Saint Germain last summer, but Valverde has grasped the opportunity to focus on his team’s defense.
Read More: http://sports.inquirer.net/274868/messi-rests-first-hour-barca-beats-sporting-champions-league
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