Luis Suárez as indispensable as ever

Luis Suárez is not losing strength. And he showed that once again in Tbilisi with a key role in FC Barcelona’s conquest of the fourth trophy of 2015. Leo Messi was named MVP and Pedro got the glory with the winning goal, but the Uruguayan also had a very important part to play.

The leading goalscorer of the preseason, with three goals, showed in Georgia that his hunger to improve has not deserted him. In a recital of mobility, effort and sacrifice, he was involved in all three of Barça’s first goals of the night. Both of Messi’s free kicks were the result of fouls on him, and it was him who laid on the assist for Rafinha to make it 3-1, with a quick and elegant move crowned by a nutmeg of Krohn-Dehli. A truly inspired piece of football from a truly inspired footballer. And that came just seconds after Suárez had almost finished off a counter-attack when he broke through one-on-one with Sevilla keeper Beto.

Thanks to work, hard work and even harder work, the striker was finally rewarded with the fourth FCB goal of an action-packed encounter. The first official goal of the season for somebody who has won the respect and admiration of the Barça faithful on the back of his astonishing determination to always deliver even more of himself. Just over a year after he arrived at the club, performances like his in Berlin and Tbilisi have made him an indispensable element of this remarkable FC Barcelona team.