La Liga
Barcelona 2018-19 – La Liga Title Recap
Following their hard fought win against Levante over the weekend, Barcelona were crowned La Liga champions for a staggering eighth time in 11 years. The Catalan kings lifted the trophy for the second time in as many years thanks to a second half goal from Leo Messi. Barça have now already secured one out of the three titles they are still in contention for. And this is despite the fact that they still have three games to go.
With the league out of the way they can focus all their energies on their mammoth clash with Liverpool in the Champions League semifinals and the final of the Copa Del Rey. If they manage to win these two trophies as well they will have achieved an unprecedented ‘treble of trebles’. They are also the only team to win the treble twice and winning it again would be a historic achievement. Let us look at a brief recap of all this immensely successful league campaign so far.
The Numbers
Barcelona have won La Liga by accumulating 83 points in 35 fixtures. They have won 25 of those games, drawn eight and lost merely two matches. They have scored an astonishing 86 goals in the process. This put their average goals per game ratio at 2.5 which is remarkable. Barça have conceded 32 goals over the course of this La Liga season at an average of less than a goal per game. Although they looked shaky in defense throughout a few tough spells in the season, they have managed to keep 17 clean sheets. Their goal difference is +54 as it stands, which is one of the best in Europe.
Barça have taken an average of 15.2 shots per game and have had a pass accuracy of 88.3%. They have also averaged 61.1% possession per game which is not hugely surprising. Additionally, they have also completed an average of 12 dribbles and 14.5 tackles per game.
In terms of their disciplinary record, they have picked up 67 yellow cards and two red cards. A record which can certainly be improved upon next season. However, it is one that will not matter too much to the players at the moment.
Great Rotation and Adaptability from Valverde
Ernesto Valverde certainly deserves the plaudits he gets for such a successful season in La Liga. The Barcelona fanbase is highly divided in their opinions about the Basque manager. There are certainly visible flaws to be improved upon but he has done well in his tenure at Barça. This season he has really rotated the squad well when necessary and prioritized the right time to rotate and right time to field a strong eleven. However, he is still a bit reactive about his substitutions and has often been bailed out by an inspirational Messi. Yet, Valverde has learned from his past mistakes on numerous occasions.
Tactical Flexibility
Valverde has been really observant and flexible this season. The best example would be the two games against Real Betis. After losing at the Camp Nou in their first encounter, he rectified his tactical setup for the reverse fixture. After noticing that Betis constantly threatened Barça due to numerical superiority in the midfield, he switched to a 4-4-2 in the return leg. This ensured that there was integrity in defense but also that Betis did not outnumber Barcelona in the middle of the park.
Players’ Brilliance
The entire squad has been truly sensational but let us take a look at a few of the absolutely immense standout performers of the season.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
The German goalkeeper has cemented his place among the world’s elite goalkeepers with an outstanding season. He has made some absolutely vital saves and has been pivotal in that Barça back line. Bailed out the team on more than one occasion and his distribution has also been world class.
Gerard Pique
The veteran defender has been a rock at the back for the Blaugrana. After a rather sluggish start to the season, Pique gradually showed his class. He became near unplayable and dropped flawless performances one after the other. Not only an astute defender but he also led the team from behind with ferocity.
Clement Lenglet
The new signing was quite the surprise package as he quietly rose from a deputy to regular in the lineup in the absence of Samuel Umtiti. Terrific in his tackles, fantastic positioning and immense reading of the game have made him a fan favorite. There is very little that can be criticized about the young Frenchman.
Jordi Alba
‘El Ferrari’, as he is famously known by the Barça faithful has had a tremendous season. His tireless motoring up and down the left wing made him a menace to the opposition. His linkup with Messi was typically sublime. He also chipped in with very important defensive contributions to go with his two goals and eight assists in La Liga. He is definitely among the best leftbacks in the world currently.
Arthur Melo
The Brazilian has shown himself to be a Barça player every opportunity he’s gotten. Cool as ice under pressure and a supremely intelligent distributor of the ball, he is a player who has already made the fans fall in love with him. He has given innumerable sensational performances. He also boasts of a superb 93% pass accuracy. Barça have indeed found themselves a gem.
Lionel Messi
What more can be said about Leo Messi that has not already been said? The brilliant Argentine just seems to get better and better each passing day. This season has been astronomical for Barça’s superstar. At 31 years of age, he has racked up 34 goals and 13 assists in La Liga alone. He even missed a whole month of football due to injury. Yet, there is no stopping the little magician. He tops the La Liga charts in almost every attacking stat. Messi is once again in pole position for the ‘Pichichi’ (top scorer in La Liga) award. He is also the top assister. Another massively successful season for this incredible player.
That being said, the contributions of the other players are in no way to be overlooked. Luis Suarez was also superb in Messi’s absence and a nightmare for Real Madrid in the El Clasico. Arturo Vidal gelled in with the team really well and made himself a fan favorite as well with his tenacious ball retrievals and tackles. Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets were also terrific in the Barça midfield. Nelson Semedo and Sergi Roberto proved how valuable they are to the team as well with some very important performances. Not to forget, the explosiveness of Carles Aleña and Ousmane Dembele.
All in all, Barcelona have stamped La Liga with their colors and now they are on the hunt for more. Can they actually complete the historic ‘treble of trebles’? We shall soon find out.
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Written by Aaryan Parasnis
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Photo credit to FC Barcelona via Twitter
