From the Copa of Messi to the Copa of madness

The Copa del Rey was the last trophy Leo Messi won with Barca. On April 17, 2021, nobody could yet imagine how everything would change for the Argentine forward and Barcelona in the following year and a half. Messi is now a PSG star and a world champion, at last, with Argentina. Meanwhile Barca keep trying to piece together a new project without the best player on the planet. It seems that Messi has come out on top. He turned his tears of sorrow at his Barca goodbye to tears of euphoria in Qatar.

Barca miss him. Sportingly, institutionally, and economically. Now, more than ever. But history cannot be changed. And the return of Messi is ruled out now, so there’s no other option than to get used to his absence. As fans and socios are doing. And the team is doing, orphaned of a player who can decide games with genius and effective individual actions. there’s no replacement. However many goals Lewandowski scores, he is not the same. Because the same does not exist, and nor will it.

Barca now want to win titles without Messi, obviously. But it is much harder than they thought. Last season, nothing. And they are out of the Champions League already. They can’t undervalue any competition. Xavi knows it. So they had to take the Intercity game seriously.

They went in with six starters, but suffered to get through in a truly crazy game. They went ahead three times and each time Soldevila equalised. It took a fourth, Ansu, to get the win. That’s the joy of the cup, any team of any level can threaten a powerful side, even knock them out.

Barca got through but showed their weaknesses. This time in defence. The best news of the night was Araujo’s return and with a goal too. It’s the image that we’ll take from a game that won’t go down in Barca’s history for their football, but for the excitement of the scoreline. Long live the cup.