Only Messi changed the rhythm in the first-half of the Athletic-Barça

Although it was something that could expect, the first-half of the Athletic-Barcelona of this Saturday in Wanda Metropolitan was an authentic game of chess, in which Leo Messi was the only dynamic piece that tried changes of rhythm for desequilibrar to the defence 'colchonera' and approach the 0-1 in the marker for the culés, that never arrived along the first 45 minutes.

True is that Leo Messi was not fine in the launchings of fault and in the last pass, but yes in the driving and to the hour to start with and without the spherical to take desprovista to the defence rojiblanca. They did not follow him his mates, that with the 4-4-2 of Ernesto Valverde showed too accommodated in the containment, risking very little in attack.

This propició that the Athletic of Madrid hardly could surprise to the FC Barcelona neither orquestar any contragolpe, but with the contrapartida that the Barcelona neither was able to approach with danger to the goal of Jan Oblak, to exception of a centre-kick of Sergi Roberto from the interior of the area after a glorious played tested of corner by part of the ones of Valverde.

The 'Txingurri' configured a plan not to risk in any moment the possibility to carry some point of Wanda Metropolitan, and the true is that him surtió effect in the defensive appearance, since the Athletic did not put nervous in any moment to Ter Stegen. In return, the FC Barcelona renounced to an offensive potential that, to exception of Luis Suárez and Leo Messi, remained in the bench.

Men like Dembélé, Malcom and Munir witnessed all the first-half in the bench, and saw how only Leo Messi was able to accumulate to his around to rival players, desequilibrarles and generate spaces that went taken advantage of for his mates.

The FC Barcelona learns: any granting in defence

Of little it served him to the FC Barcelona, at least in the first-half, to the not being able to mark the first goal of the commitment. The game of chess seems that it kept happy so much to the 'Cholo' as to the 'Txingurri' to the rest. Any of the two would risk to lose a point against which, for now, is his rival maximum in the fight by the title of LaLiga Santander: a background competition.