CHAPTER 222: Barcelona (6) - Real Valladolid (0) [analysis]

Alternative title: The Biggest Win Thus Far

Positives

• A win again. 3 more points added, and the league’s top spot is assured for yet another week.
• The 8h win (and 8th straight win) in the league.
• A very big positive point is that this is the team’s biggest win in the entire season thus far. Very uplifting factor.
• 6 goals scored. Very big boost (morale, confidence and team spirit wise, as well on fans perspectives).
• Team wise, excellent. Even though Real Valladolid withered the Blaugrana storm early on (and they themselves were attacking) once Barça hit full gear it was almost as game over (and as the goals kept coming, it was sure over, so early).
• Eto’o scores 4 goals. And all of them in the 1st Half!
• Simply great achievement. I might be wrong, but ever since following Barça this is the first time I witness a Barcelona player scoring 4 goals!
• As for Eto’o, he has further solidifies his Pichichi status (13 goals now).
• Furthermore, great finishing.
• Messi, just ruled the assists and cutting through the opposition’s defence with penetration and passes.
• The Messi-Eto’o combo.
• I just have to write that Puyol was just superb defending wise. I haven’t remembered much since Puyol gave such a powerful and commanding performance defending Barcelona! And plus, he played as a left back!
• Man of the Match???
  
  • Eto'o?
    
  • Messi?
  • Puyol?
    
• Eidur Gudjohnsen scored the best goal of the game.
• Henry gets a goal as well.
• A different positive point to note, it was a happy crowd at the Camp Nou. Mexican waves were there.

Negatives

• Messi’s offside goal. It sort of robbed him from scoring a goal in this great winning game.
• Henry.
• Broke up/slowed down some of the attacking team play of Barcelona. Especially during the 1st half where Messi made a slalom run towards the Valladolid goal, and passing it to Henry, only for Henry to further complicate the chance he had by controlling the ball more and moving away from the opposition’s goal.
• Also, there was a chance he shot just wide in the 1st half as well (which should be a goal in regards to Henry’s capability).
• I believe that in this game Xavi was lesser commanding than what the previous positive performances he shown in the earlier victorious games.