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Lionel Messi Is Shown Being Failed By Barcelona Teammates In Worrying Footage

Lionel Messi Is Shown Being Failed By Barcelona Teammates In Worrying Footage

Barcelona's players are letting down their captain with alarming regularity.

Alex Reid

Alex Reid

Lionel Messi is being constantly being let down by his Barcelona teammates this season, despite his individual brilliance.

That's the troubling perspective of a compilation which shows the sheer number of chances Messi has put on a plate for his teammates in 2020/21 - only to have them fail to finish off his skilful set-up play.

It's certainly a long way since Barcelona's days of Luis Suarez, Neymar and Messi when a lethal front three worked in total co-operation with one another.

Unfortunately, Ousmane Dembele is front and centre with a lot of the shots fired either wide or right down the goalkeeper's throat.

The France international's form has actually improved this year after his £100+ million move to Barca in 2017. But he's still lacking a clinical touch in front of goal and he spurned numerous, Messi-created chances in Barca's 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain that saw them exit the Champions League 5-2 on aggregate.

Aside from a missed penalty, Messi was sensational in that game, but Barcelona's only goal came when he fired in a thunderbolt from 25 yards.

And the team's dependency on Messi has been a big problem, even as the 33-year-old has rediscovered his very best form.

Against Huesca on Monday night, Messi was again unplayable as he scored a sensational solo goal.

However doubts remain about whether his attacking teammates are on the same wavelength as the Argentine genius.

Messi boasts 21 goals in 25 La Liga games this season - but "only" seven assists. You get the feeling the number would be far higher if the likes of Dembele and Antoine Griezmann were converting their chances at a better rate.

As it is, the French duo have just 10 La Liga goals combined this season (seven for Griezmann, three for Dembele) and Barcelona's worrying Messi-dependency goes on.

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Topics: Barcelona, Lionel Messi, La Liga