الاثنين، 18 فبراير 2019

About time Suarez showed up in the Champions League

Uruguayan has one goal since start of last season in the competition

There’s always plenty of debate surrounding who is the best all-round striker in the world, and Luis Suarez often forms part of that conversation.

Rightly so, as there’s little that the Uruguayan doesn’t have in his locker when it comes to forward play.

That extends to the darker arts too, and there’s no denying that he’s been a perfect foil for Lionel Messi precisely because his antics at times take the focus away from the Argentinian.

Certainly, in the four and a bit years that he’s been a Blaugrana, there can’t be too many cules that have been unhappy with his tenure, particularly when you consider how dead against the signing many were in the beginning, coming as it did just after the Chiellini debacle in 2014.

There is one area of his game, however, where he has fallen woefully short of what’s required from a striker of his stature.

If the Champions League is the true barometer of just how good a player is then, in the last couple of seasons at least, Suarez should be hugely disappointed by his output.

Incredibly, the No.9 has scored just twice in the competition in the last two seasons, both goals coming at the Camp Nou and both in big wins for the Blaugranes.

Moreover, it’s been three years since he scored a Champions League away goal!

The 4-1 first leg victory over Roma last season was the last time he found the net in this particular European competition, and then we have to go all the way back to the 6-1 remontada over Paris Saint-Germain to find another goal.

It’s an astonishing statistic, but one that Suarez has to rectify in Lyon to not only give himself some long overdue confidence against continental sides, but to also give Barca the push they need for the business end of the tournament.

Messi and Dembele may well continue to do the business, but a striker’s currency is goals and it’s about time Suarez recovered his mojo in that regard.

Despite his advancing years, we know he’s still more than capable. He might not be the quickest anymore, but his inventiveness, nous and natural ability is light years ahead of some of his contemporaries.

Not to mention that the fire of competitiveness still burns as brightly as it ever did for this son of Salto.

Whilst Lyon are going to be no pushovers, there is an air of expectancy from the cule fraternity.

Suarez has to ensure that he delivers.



from Barca Blaugranes - All Posts http://bit.ly/2Naw3LK

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