Ronaldo less Real rout Eibar 4-1
Internet Desk: FC Barcelona produced an absolutely staggering display to beat Celta 5-0, a win that not only means they stay top of La Liga but that also served as the perfect dress rehearsal for ‘operation comeback’ on Wednesday. The performance that the Camp Nou was treated to on Saturday night was enough to get even the strongest sceptics reassessing their predictions.
Barca were bossing Celta so convincingly with their quick one-touch passes that it was hard to believe that it took 13 minutes to get visiting keeper Sergio Alvarez’s gloves warmed for the first time with a low drive from Leo Messi.
There was one scare when Facundo Roncaglia really should have done better after intercepting Samuel Umtiti’s clearance, but otherwise it was Barca all the way for the first 45 minutes.
Neymar Jr narrowly failed to chip Alvarez, we had an extraordinary moment when both Luis Suarez and Messi hit the post in rapid succession, and there were calls all around the Camp Nou for a penalty when Hugo Mallo appeared to hack down Neymar in the area.
It was vintage Barca, and when the goal finally came, it was vintage Messi. The Argentinian collected the ball in the centre circle and went on to casually skip his way through the sky-blue shirts before swinging the ball home from the edge of the area. And as he has already done so many times, the European Golden Shoe leader did it all with such casual confidence that the impossible was made to look simple.
It was showtime at Camp Nou, and Celta were much very playing the supporting role to the lead actors. The inevitable second goal came after 40 minutes and it was every bit as much fun as the first. This time Messi was the provider, with a pinpoint through ball to Neymar, followed by a spot of Brazilian magic to cheekily dink the ball into the net.
We were being treated to some of the best minutes of football at the Camp Nou this season, and the great news at half-time was that there were still another 45 of those to come.
They didn’t disappoint. Following another twelve minutes of dazzling dominance, Ivan Rakitic was pouncing on a Rafinha assist to make it three. Four minutes later, Messi’s killer pass ended up at the feet on none other than Umtiti to tap in his first ever goal in a Barcelona shirt.
And just three minutes after that, Messi went on a shimmying run in from the right before tucking away number five.
The showboating could have continued, but by this point Luis Enrique had clearly seen enough. Sergi Busquets, Sergo Roberto and Neymar were brought back into dock with Wednesday’s Champions League fixture in mind and the Catalans took their feet off the accelerator for the final twenty minutes or so.
In another match, Real Madrid remain just one point behind Barca at the top of La Liga and with a game in hand as Karim Benzema scored twice in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in a 4-1 win at Eibar.
Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane praised his side’s response to a recent slump in form after defeat to Valencia and a thrilling 3-3 draw with Las Palmas in two of their previous three outings.
“I am happy with our reaction,” said Zidane. “In the course of a season there are moments when you have to suffer and it is normal that you can’t always play well.
“We started very strongly and at a high tempo, which is very important away from home.”
Indeed, Madrid were 3-0 up inside half an hour as Benzema finished twice from close range before teeing up James Rodriguez for the third.
“Benzema had a part in all four goals. I am happy for him, he had a great game,” added Zidane.
Despite the absence of Ronaldo and Bale through injury and suspension respectively, Zidane rested a host of other first-team regulars ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 return leg away to Napoli.
Those coming in rewarded Zidane’s faith in the depth of his squad with the often sidelined Rodriguez a constant threat.
The opener arrived on 14 minutes when Benzema followed up after Yoel had saved his initial effort to register just his second league goal since October.
Madrid soon doubled their advantage when Rodriguez’s wicked in-swinging free-kick left Benzema with the simplest of tasks to knock the ball home from point-blank range.
Four minutes later the roles were reversed as this time Benzema’s low cross was swept into the far corner on the stretch by Rodriguez for his fifth goal of the season.
Marco Asensio had unselfishly squared to Rodriguez in the move for the fourth goal, but after the Colombian’s effort came back off the post, Asensio expertly dispatched the rebound from a narrow angle.
Ruben Pena beat Danilo to Pedro Leon’s cross to the far post to fire in a consolation 18 minutes from time.