CHAPTER 214: Barcelona (5) - Almeria (0) [analysis]

Alternative title: It just gets better and better

Another game, another great win, and another 5 goals scored. At last, Barcelona sits on top of the league at the end of the day.


Positives

• Barcelona wins, and three points added.
• The winning streak continues; 6th straight in La Liga and the 9th straight in all competitions.
• No goals conceded. That’s now three games in a row the team has not conceded a goal from the opposition (a big positive point).
• Clinical finishing on the first four goals.
• A good fact is that Barça took their goalscoring opportunities very well (adding to some very scary stats).
• The other good stats that adds up to this season so far is that Barcelona has been scoring early goals, in the first 10 to 20 minutes of the first half. Apart from this game, the game against Basel and Atletico Madrid were the other matches where Barça scored lighting quick.
• The other positive point from these goals statistics is that Barcelona are quickly scoring back to back goals (as again evident from this game and also from against Basel and Atletico).
• Eto’s scoring a hattrick. I believe that this is his first hatrick for Barcelona in La Liga (correct me if I’m wrong) and his 2nd hatrick for the Blaugrana (after the one he had against Panathinaikos three seasons ago). Not only that, this brings up Eto’o as one of the league topscorers, alongside David Villa. All in all a very positive aspect for Eto’o, who’s becoming a great resigning of the club during summer.
• Henry was at the right place and at the right time when he scored his goal.
• Alves, what a goal! Alves’ first goal is from a powerful blast from a freekick. You know, I haven’t been able to watch a Barça game by able to lay down on the floor as watching the tv for a long time, and this game was one of them. But Alves’s goal just made me stood up and gave some applause.
  ¡Que Golazo!
• Valdes did his job today, kept another clean sheet.

• Yaya Toure, once again immense. From the first goal, it all came from a great long pass by Toure into Almeria’s penalty area.
• Abidal had a very good game. Lots of people gave good comments regarding Abidal’s performance. Personally though, I thought Alves was the more dominating fullback (since he scored a great goal and had a great game connecting with Messi throughout) but Abidal definitely played with confidence. Once in the first half as he brought the ball forward where he sidestep the ball the other way as he got pass an Almeria player.
• Victor Sanchez gets more minutes. He’s having some foundation to his game and experience as Guardiola kept utilizing him in games, and furthermore from this game Sanchez came in as the game was already virtually won, so it would most likely gave him with a winning mindset.
• The team is raking up some great statistics.
• Barcelona has obtained the top of the league table position at last. Even though it might only stand for one day (as Valencia are playing tomorrow) but the achievement of being on top (and after such a long time) is a huge boost, a powerful drive for the entire team. Getting on top (even though for a while) will be able to push the team’s ambitions further as the season progresses. The labour and effort put in by the team thus far, and the good feeling from having top spot will definitely lay down further foundation for Barcelona to achieve wanted success in the league (and also factor in for other competitions).
• Excellent first half, nuff said.

Negatives

• Lethargic second half. After the promise showed during the (superb) first half, the second half did not have any goals produced. It was like ………what the hell happened here? Why no goals?
• And the team seemed comfortable in just controlling the game the way they like it (even though goal opportunities were not in abundance).
• Lesser chances made.
• I’m just wondering why they did not move in and punish the opposition more as regarding that Negredo was sent off in the first half. Barça had a man extra during the entire second half but they did not seem to care in making the best out of the opportunity that was there for the taking. Instead they seemed more bent on not exerting much energy throughout the second half (as not much chances were made).
• Eto’o could have scored 4 goals, if it wasn’t for some great reflexes from Almeria’s keeper.
• There was once that Barcelona could have conceded a goal. A long range shot from Almeria’s left back hit the crossbar.
• As the second half progresses, I was wondering why Guardiola didn’t substituted Messi, Eto’o or Xavi. These guys are extremely fundamental for Barcelona and in respect of the game being sentenced early (what with Almeria playing with a man less and Barça already 5 nil up) why didn’t he take them out and give them deserved rest?