Celtic Beware! How Barcelona Have Changed for the Better Since They Last Met

Virtually nothing from Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Celtic this summer in the International Champions Cup is relevant ahead of the teams’ Champions League meeting on Tuesday night.

It was Barcelona’s first pre-season game and the second half dissolved entirely into endless substitutions. 

The last time Barcelona played Celtic in a competitive game was December 11, 2013.

Neymar scored a hat-trick, with Gerard Pique, Pedro and Cristian Tello grabbing the other goals as they waltzed to a 6-1 victory. Giorgios Samaras struck an 89th-minute consolation that offered no real consolation to the battered Scots.

It was the club’s worst defeat in European competition, the first time in 50 years they had let in six goals. And the bad news for Celtic is that game is also irrelevant. 

The Barcelona team they face on Tuesday night at the Camp Nou is significantly stronger in almost every department.

Five players from Gerardo Martino’s side who lined up that night are still in the Barcelona squad, and four are likely to start this clash.

Neymar, Sergi Roberto, Sergi Busquets, Pique and Javier Mascherano played, with the latter likely to be benched after his nightmare evening against Alaves on Saturday.

Barcelona were beaten 2-1 at home, and the Argentinian was caught out for both goals. He wasn’t the only culpable party for the defeat, with nobody impressing on the team—or even playing close to their usual level. After Pique and Samuel Umtiti were rested, though, they are expected to come back in to face Celtic.

Of the other four—perhaps bar Busquets, who was already playing at a high level—all have taken significant leaps forward.

Despite scoring a hat-trick, the Neymar of 2013 was a stick insect compared to the forward Luis Enrique has at his disposal today.

He is far tougher, smarter and better at making the right decision—and he still has boundless potential, with acres of it to stretch out in.

Something that has not changed is the atmosphere around Neymar, who seems destined to have controversy follow him. Part of that comes with his provocative way of playing, though.

Celtic captain Scott Brown was sent off when the teams met in Glasgow on October 1, 2013, for tripping up Neymar and then swiping a kick at the player’s arm when he was on the ground. The Hoops were furious and even more so when the Brazilian surged through enemy territory before playing in Alexis Sanchez, who crossed for Cesc Fabregas to head home past Fraser Forster.

To this day opponents are riled by Neymar; sometimes because they think his flicks and tricks are disrespectful, but mainly because he’s just on a different plane of ability to them. They don’t like it when he falls—but then they shouldn’t have kicked him until he did.

Neymar …

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