Lionel Messi didn’t really have to roll the ball sideways. It was February 2016, and Barcelona were leading Celta Vigo, 3-1. Messi, at the time, was on 299 career La Liga goals, and with a penalty to take, seemed set to hit the 300 mark. The routine looked normal, Messi staring the keeper down, hesitating slightly, before preparing to strike the ball. Instead, though, he rolled it to his right where Luis Suarez ran through and bashed it home, making it 4-1 while completing his own hat-trick.
The football world reacted surprisingly viscerally for something so innocent. A good number of fans – mostly gathered in the Madrid metropolitan area – dubbed it disrespectful. Most of the internet admitted it was just a good laugh. Eight years on, who cares? Barca went on to win 6-1 and Messi got his 300th goal as Celta were put to the sword.
Such was the case of the Messi-Suarez-Neymar-led Barca; they were immense fun. The goals came in spades, and they were all beautifully constructed – three players, moving off each other, equally happy to score as to assist. They all knew that, somehow, they would find the net, as long as this fluid system continued to tick.
The same can be said for other great attacking trios of the modern era. Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at Liverpool; Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema at Real Madrid. Even Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Ronaldo at Manchester United.
The current iteration of Real Madrid, however, don’t have that same zip. In Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr, Los Blancos have three of the most gifted attacking players in the world at their disposal. But that trio is yet to gel, and instead are a group of individuals lacking the kind of chemistry and sacrifice that will be needed to turn this very good team into a great one.