Winner in San Mamés, a particularly unfriendly stadium in which he accumulated two defeats and a draw in his last three visits. Barcelona linked their seventh day of the league without losing (five wins and two draws) and catapulted to third place in the championship, far from the two teams in Madrid but finally showing an image of agreement with the greatness that is supposed to him. That is expected.
Lionel Messi smiled with two goals, two shots on goal and a special connection, once again, with the young Pedri, who left Bilbao with the confirmation that Barça have discovered another star. If last year illuminated Ansu Fati, now it is the turn of another ‘young man’, a canary capable of playing as a veteran, who makes football easy and so simple that it is difficult to interpret for those who do not be tied to its quality. And Messi, captain and lighthouse of this team, knows that surrounded by players of this quality has the opportunity to enjoy again.
😉 Why the goal of @Pedri in the # AthleticBarça is it unique pic.twitter.com/5py90I8dbP
– FC Barcelona (@fcbarcelona_es) January 6, 2021
Leo, like De Jong, like Dembélé, like Pedri and even like Griezmann, not only enjoyed a happy night in Bilbao but, managing for the first time in the championship to link two victories away from Camp Nou, warned that with the new year can dream of giving up depression and conquering the illusion.
Cruyff said ‘A flower does not make summer’ and it is clear that it is too, very soon, to ring the bells in flight. Atlético de Madrid, with two games to go, are four points ahead of Barça and Real Madrid are five points behind. But around the Barça team, which played yellow this Wednesday, you can begin to install the feeling of, as Ronald Koeman wants, being at the right time to start the final growth.
He remembers, or rather could remember, that first season of Fran Rijkaard on the bench. Another Dutchman in turbulent times and after 17 league games had the team in ninth place and fifteen points, fifteen, from Real Madrid, then leader with 39 points. Rijkaard was on the verge of cessation, then-President Joan Laporta kept him in place against all odds. A date later (3-0), he linked 15 wins and two draws to, against all odds, come to dream of a league title that was not nearly won.
It is not known how far this Barça de Messi can go, with Pedri growing, De Jong detached, Dembélé shot and waiting for the recovery of Ansu Fati to round off his enthusiasm. It is possible that against Granada the disappointment will return and that the Super Cup can catapult him to success or collapse him to failure … But from what is seen in Bilbao Koeman’s team finally gave a feeling of il · Illusion.
Third in the League, in growth and hope. Thus, at least on the night of the Three Kings, Barça lived in San Mamés.