Messi-Suarez-Griezmann Trident Finishes 2019 In Style With Fresh Targets Ahead - Forbes

Messi-Suarez-Griezmann Trident Finishes 2019 In Style With Fresh Targets Ahead - Forbes

BARCELONA, SPAIN - December 21: Lionel Messi #10 of Barcelona is congratulated by Luis Suarez #9 ... [+] of Barcelona and Antoine Griezmann #17 of Barcelona after scoring his sides third goal during the Barcelona V Alaves, La Liga regular season match at Estadio Camp Nou on December 21st 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Corbis via Getty Images

It was Family Day at the Camp Nou - to mark the first time this season FC Barcelona had played at home at a more kid-friendly 16.00 - yet even though the second-worst attendance in 2019/2020 came out for it, the MSG trident put on a show to end the year with a bang.

Against a game but ultimately flawed Alaves, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann all got on the same scoresheet for the fourth time since joining forces and in turn added their 14th-ranked opposition to an expanding list of victims including Eibar, Borussia Dortmund and Mallorca.

If counted as a calendar month, that which ran from November 23rd - when Barça, scraped to a 1-2 win over Leganes - until the Alaves clash yesterday has by far been their best.

At Butarque, where Ernesto Valverde’s men had again gone behind on the road, it was Messi’s free kick that allowed Suarez to head home the equaliser and pave the way for Arturo Vidal’s winner 11 minutes from time.

In the 3-1 triumph over the Bundesliga runners-up Dortmund in the Champions League Group F a few days later, the trio was responsible for providing all three goals and the assists that facilitated them.

Upon his return to the Wanda, Griezmann had an off night, yet on the eve of being crowned the winner of the Ballon d’Or for a sixth time, it was Suarez that laid off a quick pass for Messi to convert the 86th minute winner applauded by helpless rival coach Diego Simeone.

Receiving a struggling Mallorca at home, Messi showed off the France Football gong to the masses and marked the occasion with a hat trick. That night, in a 5-2 win for the Catalans, Griezmann scored the opener in the 7th minute before providing for Messi 10 minutes after. Then, in the 83rd, Suarez made sure that the Argentine crack went home with the match ball.

At Anoeta, in the rough 2-2 draw against another one of Grizi’s former outfits, the 2018 World Cup champion got the visitors off the mark at Real Sociedad’s expense when played in by Suarez. Messi setting up the Uruguayan after the interval, the afternoon was marked by VAR controversy and Barça escaped with just a point.

El Clasico and its 0-0 draw, which saw FCB pressed and played off their own park by Real Madrid, had all three components out of sorts. Yet in the 4-1 romp over Alaves that made sure their side head into the new year top of the charts, Suarez served Griezmann and Messi - in addition to Arturo Vidal - while they also let him take a 75th minute penalty to get in on the act.

Totted up, that is an impressive 13 goals and 11 assists to one another across seven matches. And since they started running out together, 39 in all competitions to finish one shy of the 40 that the more celebrated ‘MSN’ consortium completed by Neymar ended 2014 with.

It will come as no big shock that, getting to know one another for half a decade now while best friends off the pitch, Messi and Suarez have connected most frequently.

Yet for those that studied Saturday’s win closely, this was arguably the best exhibition of the understanding between Griezmann and Messi improving.

Treating the crowd to champagne football with the exchange reproduced above, Griezmann had a goal disallowed early in the second half when Messi dinked a fantastic ball in behind himself and the Frenchman expertly-anticipated which run to make.

Individually, the $133mn summer signing is making a name for himself by netting his side’s opener and has done so on no less than six occasions. In the last two occurences of this development, it has been Suarez that has dropped deep and given him something to run on to.

After celebrating the holidays with their families, the goal shall be to near the 122 MSN managed in its maiden term and at least match its treble silverware haul in 2014/2015. Their future and that of their manager may just depend on it.

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2019-12-22 12:40:40Z
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomsanderson/2019/12/22/messi-suarez-griezmann-trident-finishes-2019-in-style-with-fresh-targets-ahead/
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