La Liga
2018-19 La Liga Best Player: Leo Messi
What We Can Expect From Leo Messi This Season
With the departure of his rival Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, there is even lesser room for debate as to who La Liga Best Player is. It comes as no surprise that Leo Messi comes out on top. The diminutive Argentine superstar had a cracking domestic run last season. Having played 36 games and having started 32 of them, Messi had a haul of 34 goals and 12 assists. His goals also earned him his 5th European Golden Boot.
Not only goals but Messi was also pivotal in Barça’s build up play. He played in a deep lying CAM position for the majority of the season. His 12 assists also made sure he was joint on top of the assists chart with Pablo Fornals and Luis Suarez. He also racked up a mammoth 87 key passes. He rarely put a foot wrong and hence had an average season match rating of 8.58 according to OPTA.
Considering all these factors. It is highly unlikely that the Argentinian will be unable to emulate last season’s success yet again.
Why Leo Messi Will Most Likely Reapeat His Magic
Barcelona have been extremely active in this transfer window. They have made some very good signings to bolster their squad. Combine this with the firepower they already have, they are bound to do well. In fact, it seems like Messi can perform even better than last season because he will have immense attacking freedom. It is highly unlikely that Barça will lack midfield control now that they have a good mix of technical and physical players.
With the versatility of Philippe Coutinho, the skill of Ousmane Dembele, and the instincts of Suarez with whom Messi shares great chemistry, he has an array of options. These highly talented attackers are more than capable of providing end product thanks to Messi’s service. And not to forget, they can create plenty of dangerous situations and serve up goals for the “Menacing Man” himself. There is also a lot of creativity and elegance in midfield. Arthur Melo and Sergio Busquets are two players with exquisite technique. Their poise will serve as an asset to Messi going forward. Couple this with the immense work rates and game sense of Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal, the whole squad looks like a force to be reckoned with.
Barcelona fans will be looking forward to this season with high hopes and expectations. And they will undoubtedly be looking at one of the greatest players ever to spearhead the team towards success. Not only in terms of trophies and individual accolades, but also to dazzle everyone with the kind of beautiful football that the Blaugrana are known for.
Leo Messi and FC Barcelona, you have the floor.
