FC Barcelona have been without their usual attacking trio for the majority of matches this season yet have managed to win a large chunk of those games, as they did against Malaga on Saturday.
It was far from a classic Barça performance at La Rosaleda, but the Catalans displayed fighting spirit to earn a valuable 2-1 win at a traditionally tough ground. Munir replaced Neymar Jr up front and managed to score his fourth goal in five games.
Near-identical record with and without trident
This season, Barça have had to play 21 games without the infamous trident yet have won 15 times, drawn four and lost just two of their matches. The win rate of 71% without the usual front three is strikingly similar to when Suarez, Neymar and Messi have played together (73%). In the 15 duels this season with all three present, they have eleven wins, three draws and one defeat.
Messi has missed eleven games this season, while Neymar has been forced to sit out ten. Suárez has been the player most frequently seen in the lineup out of the three, as the Uruguayan has missed just five games.
The team’s superb record even without a full front three is an encouraging sign of the squad’s strength and the players’ chemistry.
