Barcelona’s Best Matches This Season
Prior to the start of the season, many people were claiming that Real Madrid and Barcelona were ripe for the picking.
Real Madrid with the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s ageing squad were factors that led to these claims, however, one read of the match previews at Bettingtop10 will tell you that writing off either of these sides would be a foolish thing to do, and that is exactly how it has panned out.
After seven league games this season it is both Barcelona and Real Madrid who share top spot and with success so far in Europe (especially for Barce), the doubters have so far been proven very wrong indeed and those who like to Bet on football could do far worse than continuing to back these two heavyweights of Spanish football.
So, how well have the Catalans been playing this season?
We take a look at some of Barcelona’s best games so far this campaign to find out.
Barcelona 8 Huesca 2 – 2nd September
Playing a newly promoted side is often a risky affair, especially one who have modelled themselves on you in Huesca.
A first trip to the Camp Nou was something to celebrate in its own right and after three minutes in, something remarkable happened.
The minnows took the lead through Juan Hernandez.
It was not to last as the mercurial Lionel Messi had the Catalans level on the 16-minute mark and a Jorge Pulido own goal and Luis Suarez strike had the home side firmly back in control heading towards the break.
However, Huesca refused to lie down and in the 42nd minute, Alex Gallar netted for the visitors to send the sides into the break at 3-2.
Clearly, Huesca had exerted all their efforts in the opening 45 minutes as strikes by Dembele, Rakitic, Alba, Messi and Suarez put the game to bed in a second half display that reminded everyone why it is impossible to write this Barcelona side off.
Barcelona 4 PSV 0 – 18th September
Two weeks after thumping Huesca, Barcelona opened their Champions League campaign with another dominant display on home soil, this time against 24-time Dutch league champions PSV.
A ruthless display from the home side saw Messi bag a hat-trick despite the home side seeing Samuel Umtiti dismissed in the 79th minute.
PSV has no reply for a rampant Barcelona who netted three times in a devasting 13-minute second half spell to put the Catalans firmly in control of their group.
Tottenham 2 Barcelona 4 – 3rd October
Arguably Barcelona’s result this season was against Tottenham in the Champions League.
Many fancied an attacking Spurs side to cause Barce a number of problems especially on the hallowed Wembley turf.
But it was not to be despite some persistence from the home side.
Once again it was Messi who put on one of the best performances ever seen on English soil by a foreign player after causing the Spurs defence no end of problems and bagging himself a brace.
Suarez also had a claim for man of the match despite not scoring because his unselfish play enabled the Catalans to unlock their opponents.
Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic were the other men on the scoresheet for Barcelona whilst Harry Kane and Erik Lamela struck for the home side in a game that left Spurs with more questions than answers.