Lionel Messi sparkles on La Liga return as enforced break puts spring in his step

For the last few years, Lionel Messi has had a lot of beard to hide his expression behind. Had the beard not been there it might have revealed a lot of expression. There has been plenty to irk Messi in recent times. Barcelona has indeed become more than a club, with boardroom scandals and power struggles turning the Camp Nou into a political arena.

Now, though, the beard is gone and with it Messi’s expression has seemingly lifted, as have his performance levels on the basis of his display in the 4-0 win over Real Mallorca on Saturday night. In what was Barca’s first competitive game in over three months, the Argentine was exceptional. There was an enjoyment to his play that had been lacking before the shutdown. There was even a smile or two.

Of course, there had been suspicions that Messi was playing with an injury. That any other Barcelona player would have been sidelined for a number of weeks and given the chance to recover. Messi, however, wasn’t afforded that privilege because without him Barca are directionless. Hopeless, even.

From a physical point of view, three months out of the game have surely benefited Messi, who at 32 must now care for his body that little bit more. It had been a number of years since the Argentine had had three weeks to rest and recuperate without a major tournament or pre-season tour or some other marketing duty to occupy him let alone three months.

The difference was notable in the acceleration and bursts of energy Messi produced at Son Moix, particularly in the first half when he spent 20 to 30 minutes cutting Real Mallorca open almost at will. That acceleration dropped off in the second half as he tired, but Messi was zestful in a way he hasn’t been for a long time.

Perhaps even more notable, though, was his body language throughout. There were a few hands-on-hips moments, but rather than being a reflection of Messi’s exasperation, as was frequently the case before the coronavirus pandemic struck, they were simply a way for him to conserve energy before his next burst.

The sight of a clean-shaven Messi presented a throwback to a time before Josep Bartomeu, before boardroom scandals, before all the politicking to a time when the Argentine was at his best and when he appeared at ease in his surroundings. Barcelona was once the perfect club for Messi, the only club for Messi.

More recently, the Camp Nou has become something of a personal torture chamber for the best player to have ever played there. Of course, those in the stands still worship Messi, but Barcelona is now an environment that oppresses like the number 10. It’s not just Messi who has suffered - see Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann among others.

And yet Messi’s numbers have, through it all, remained unfathomable. The goal and brace of assists he registered on Saturday night means Messi has now had a direct hand in 15 of Barcelona’s last 18 La Liga goals. No player in any of Europe’s top five leagues has been directly involved in more goals (34) than the Argentine this season.

There are some signs in the numbers and figures of how Messi is changing as a player. His tally of 14 Liga assists this season is his highest since 2015/16, already surpassing last season’s tally with 10 games still to play. The Argentine’s goal threat (24 goals in 31 games in all competitions) remains undeniable, but he is increasingly the one setting up goals rather than the one finishing them himself.

Messi almost certainly still harbours reservations over Quique Setien and his style of play, which the 32-year-old labelled insufficient to take Barcelona to Champions League glory just a few weeks ago, but time away from the Camp Nou might have given him as much of an opportunity to think as rest and recuperate. A mentally refreshed Messi would be even more useful to Barca than a physically rested Messi. His statistics have hidden a lot for a long time. Almost as much as the beard did.