FC’s Paolo Bandini discusses how Lionel Messi’s injury in the match against Atletico Madrid will affect Barcelona.
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“Now we have to look for other solutions”. “It is clear we are stronger having Leo Messi, but we are still very strong and this is the best moment to ask this squad to keep improving”.
Barca now face three away games, with trips to Sporting Gijon, Borussia Monchengladbach and Celta Vigo coming up before October’s worldwide break, and Messi is expected to miss all of them.
There is an worldwide break at the start of next month, and Messi could miss the crucial World Cup qualifiers for Argentina as well.
Barca’s Brazilian striker Neymar showed flashes of brilliance, forcing a good save out of Atletico’s Slovenian keeper Jan Oblak but his strike partner Luis Suarez had a quiet night.
The hosts then switched off shortly after, allowing Correa to burst through largely untroubled and equalise for Atletico.
The second half saw Sergio Busquets exit in the 51st minute with the flu and Messi leave with a groin problem in the 59th, and Correa equalised nearly immediately after his fellow Argentine’s departure. That would place him right in between Argentina’s game against Paraguay and Barcelona’s home clash against Deportivo.
Barca came closest to finding a victor in the final half hour as a fierce drive from Neymar was repelled by Oblak, whilst Jordi Alba and Rakitic fired off target. “We have to find time for them to rest”.
Real Madrid was aiming to break Barcelona’s league record of 16 straight wins set in 2010-11.
“Football lost today, and we lost Messi to injury”.
“In the second half we are much more risky”.
“We know we have to work hard and change things, above all how we start the game”.
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to action after missing the 2-0 win at Espanyol and spurned two early chances, firing over the bar and heading at goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo, who also had to punch away a close-range header from Karim Benzema.
Captain Bruno Soriano stepped up and coolly chipped the ball down the middle of the goal past Casilla. The goal in the second half made us react.
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Neymar bent an effort narrowly wide of Oblak’s left-hand post, but just as Barca’s frustrations began to grow, they seized the advantage with four minutes left of the half.
