El Clasico -Three potential Messi replacements
beIN SPORTS profiles three players who can step up for Barca in the absence of Leo Messi
Barcelona head into El Classico on Sunday evening without their talismanic captain, as Leo Messi fractured his arm ruling himself out of the game against bitter rivals Real Madrid. Ahead of the big match at the Nou Camp, we have profiled three players who could step up an cover for Messi in El Clasico.
You will be able to watch all the action and build up to El Clasico on Sunday the 28th of October with beIN SPORTS CONNECT.
Philippe Coutinho is perhaps the most ideal candidate to fill in for Messi against Real Madrid. The Brazilian has the potential to create a moment of magic from nothing in a similar vein to Messi. The 26-year old joined The Catalans in January and to date has just shown glimpses of his talent that forced Barca a reported £142 million for his services
Coutinho has enjoyed a solid start to the season, scoring three goals and racking up an assist in his nine games so far.
The former Liverpool man is an accomplished striker of the ball, and that was evident as he rounded off a smart passing move by smashing the ball into the net to score the opening goal of the game against Sevilla. Valverde is likely to use Coutinho in the front three with the attacker dropping back into midfield when Barca don’t have possession. The question now is can the player dubbed the “little magician” by Liverpool fans deliver at El Clasico?
Ivan Rakatic may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of a Leo Messi replacement in the Barcelona team, but the Croatian has some of the qualities to cover for Barca’s all-time leading goalscorer. The 30-year old has been a mainstay in midfield this season alongside Sergio Busquets & Arthur. Arguably Rakatic is the second most accomplished passer in the side after Messi and will be charged with setting the tempo for the side.
Aside from his metronomic passing, Rakatic has the technique and quality to make the spectacular ordinary. Take his strike against Tottenham in the Champions League. After forcing a good save from Hugo Loris, Luis Suarez hopefully pokes the ball towards the Croatian at the edge of the Tottenham box. Without breaking his strike Rakatic unleashes a perfect right-footed volley that thumps against the upright and into the goal. It’s part of the reason why Rakatic could be the man to deliver Barca El Clasico glory.
Ousmane Dembélé came on to replace the injured Messi on Sunday and received criticism from the Barcelona fans as he failed to impress. The 21-year old star is fresh from winning the World Cup with France in the summer has not started the campaign well. Although plenty of the expectation comes on the fleet-footed attacker thanks to the €105 million fee Barca paid Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
Dembélé may not be the first choice to replace Messi in the team and indeed may have to settle for a place on the bench come Sunday evening. However, it’s the potential from the sidelines that gives this prodigious talent the chance to make it his El Clasico. Dembélé has plenty of pace and will be the perfect attacker to throw on in a tight game to test tired defenders. Providing Valverde utilizes the talents of his number 11, he could have a big say on the fate of the contest.
Can Barcelona survive without Leo Messi in El Clasico? You can watch all the action on Sunday Live & Exclusive via beIN SPORTS CONNECT.