Lionel Messi, Neymar & Luis Suarez: Are Barcelona trio the world's best?
Wednesday 15 April 2015 10:59, UK
Barcelona boast a forward line that comprises of a four-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, the reigning European golden shoe holder Luis Suarez and Brazil’s star forward Neymar. Can anyone match it? We look at the candidates for best forward line in world football…
When Barcelona visit Paris St Germain for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, the French side must face one of the most fearsome front lines of recent years. Not only will PSG have to stop the great Lionel Messi but also his expensively-acquired fellow forwards Neymar and Luis Suarez. Between the three men they have 88 goals already this season.
The current La Liga leaders have scored three or more goals in 14 of their last 22 matches, failing to score only once. Messi alone has 45 goals and appears back to his very best after an injury-hit 2013/14 season. “When I returned I wasn’t in great form,” said Messi this week. “Now I feel really good.” The efforts of Suarez and Neymar have helped.
The arrival of the Uruguayan has been particularly useful. “They needed a guy who would run in behind the defence,” Thierry Henry told Sky Sports. “You can’t have three guys coming short to the ball. The only guy who can do that out of three is Luis Suarez. If he doesn’t do what he does then there is no Barcelona.” Suarez has also scored nine goals in his last 10 appearances.
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In addition, Neymar has blossomed and with 27 goals in all competitions has already easily surpassed his total of 15 from the previous campaign. In the early part of the season he even netted in six consecutive appearances, forming a growing bond with Messi who has assisted eight of his La Liga goals – the most frequent goalscoring combination in any of Europe’s major leagues.
So who can compete with that? Well, Spanish rivals Real Madrid boast a formidable front line of their own with the much-vaunted B-B-C of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo having scored the exact same tally of 88 goals in all competitions. Indeed, the Real trio have actually netted four more goals – 66 to the Barca threesome’s 62 – in La Liga alone.
The only other team in a major European league with three different players into double figures are Champions League favourites Bayern Munich. In fact, Arjen Robben, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller are all among the top five goalscorers in this season’s Bundesliga. The three men have 56 goals between them in all competitions – Robben 19, Lewandowski 19 and Muller 18.
In the Premier League there are four teams that have two players into double figures. Chelsea duo Diego Costa and Eden Hazard, Manchester City men Sergio Aguero and David Silva, the Arsenal pair of Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez, and Manchester United forwards Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. But none can compete with the sheer weight of goals from Spain’s super clubs.
Would I prefer their front three or Real Madrid’s? I’d take Barcelona’s.
Pundit Verdict: Graeme Souness
“When you’re talking about game-changers, Barcelona have the very best in the world in Lionel Messi and he’s got two world-class players – Neymar and Luis Suarez - just behind him. Anybody playing against them can only hope they all have a night off, but all three don’t do that very often and that’s why they are such a fabulous and dangerous team. Would I prefer their front three or Real Madrid’s? I’d take Barcelona’s, but I don’t think you’d be unhappy with either.”
