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Alexis Sanchez, Clasico King (Barcelona vs Real Madrid)
A new era in the biggest rivalry? Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both not getting on the scoresheet? Too soon to tell, but the heroes for Barcelona were Alexis Sanchez with a beautiful goal and Neymar scoring the opener, while Real Madrid found their breakthrough with the young Jese way too late in the 2-1 defeat.
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FC Barcelona – Lionel Messi Not Trying His Hardest
When Barcelona play in an alarmingly slow pace, it’s quite clear that the team isn’t so concerned about winning. A Clasico coming up, a tough Italian opponent and Lionel Messi himself only now coming back from injury, there were more pressing issues that going all-out for the victory.
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FC Barcelona – Fabregas Can’t Always Fill in For Messi
Some matches require more than just close to your best, even if the opponents don’t have the most impressive of names. Lionel Messi came on too late to change anything for Barcelona, who failed in their attempts to be led by Cesc Fabregas and Neymar as they failed to win for the first time this season, heading into one of the more difficult weeks they’ve had in quite a while.
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FC Barcelona – Neymar Leaves Scoring Up to Alexis Sanchez
For those expecting Neymar to fill the scoring void left by the Lionel Messi injury, there are other players to look to in hope of making up for his absence, such as Alexis Sanchez, who upon his third season at Barcelona is finally looking like the forward the team envisioned when they first signed him.
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FC Barcelona – Neymar Can Fill in For Lionel Messi
Even if Barcelona aren’t the same team without Lionel Messi, against a certain level of competition, there’s enough quality to back him up. Whether it’s Neymar, who doesn’t mind being the center of attention on the pitch and sacrifice for the team, or Cesc Fabregas, proving time and time again that he’s the best finisher this team has albeit the injured Argentine star.
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FC Barcelona – Neymar Gets The Spotlight Turned at Him
This is what Neymar was brought for. The moment Lionel Messi is either injured or marked too tightly, it should be the Brazilian’s turn to be the man for Barcelona, who have struggled anytime their best player was missing or taken out of them match by an opponent’s defending.
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Lionel Messi Doesn’t Need Much to Keep Barcelona Perfect
Only 29 minutes for Lionel Messi, but it’s enough for Barcelona to win their 7th consecutive match since the start of the season, something that the club has neve done before, although the circumstances of his substitution have to be somewhat of a worrying subject.
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FC Barcelona – Neymar Might Actually Be Making Lionel Messi Better
The most intriguing duo in global football needed a few matches to work things out, but it looks like Barcelona found themselves a perfect match in Neymar and Lionel Messi, as the Brazilian has adopted the role of facilitator down the left flank in order to make the best player in the world even better.
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FC Barcelona – Pedro Gives Lionel Messi a Break From Scoring
Hard to tell if the new Barcelona is really less about possession and simply more about being direct and finishing off matches later rather than sooner, but if it gives the chance for Pedro to steal the spotlight from Lionel Messi with an impressive hat trick, you won’t hear too many complaining about it.
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FC Barcelona – Lionel Messi Doesn’t Mind the Changing Styles
As Barcelona continues to change under the hands of a coach that hasn’t come out of its own system, there’s one obvious thing that stays the same: Lionel Messi, who might not actually care about all the records he’s breaking or coming very close to setting, but with some huge help from Neymar is getting very close to one of the most prestigious in European soccer.