Is Suarez Disrupting Messi-Neymar Partnership?

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, have been struggling to link up and the results after two 

games

together speak volumes about the failure to launch in Barcelona’s attack.

Find out how Barcelona performed against Celta in our Match Report.

One solitary goal, courtesy of the Brazilian, at the Santiago Bernabeau was all the three lethal attackers could manage in Barcelona’s first back-to-back league defeats in over five years.

These two defeats go hand in hand with Suarez's inclusion into the Barcelona starting XI after his four month ban from football had expired.

Suarez looked sharp up front, but a failure to connect with his teammates has been present ever since the three strikers first appeared together.

On Saturday against Celta, the three players were responsible for 29 of Barcelona’s 67 misplaced passes, as they struggled to find each other in attacking moves.

Barcelona failed to score at the Camp Nou for the first time in three years, as the frontmen were denied by a combination of the woodwork and an incredible goalkeeping display from Sergio Alvarez.

After a season learning each others movement and preference, Messi and Neymar just got used to each other. Their start of the season was great and had 20 goals in 12 matches between them. They also contributed 12 assists, mostly to each other.

But then, Luis Suárez was introduced to the team and after eight consecutive wins, Barca registered two league losses.

The chemistry Messi and Neymar have forged over a year has changed and suddenly Messi has to get used to Neymar’s movement with Suárez in the team and Neyamr has to get used to Messi’s movement with Suárez in the team. Obviously, Suárez has to get used to Barcelona and their unique ball movement, runs and patterns. 

With the talent at his hands - a European Golden Boot winner, La Liga’s second-highest ever goal-scorer and the man destined to eclipse Pele - Luis Enrique cannot help but wonder how he has yet to see sparks from the men at his disposal.

But he will also understand that it will be crucial for his and the club’s future to find the right combination up front that can achieve maximum chemistry between the star attackers.