God damn it, Andres Iniesta, saying goodbye was tough enough already.
We only have two more opportunities to see Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi link up in the Barcelona shirt. Next weekend, Barcelona travel to Levante and they close out the season at home to Real Sociedad. Then, that’s it for Iniesta as a Barcelona player.
To say that Iniesta has been a loyal servant at Barcelona would be a massive understatement. He has amassed over 600 appearances in 16 seasons at Camp Nou. He’s also won four Champions Leagues, nine La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey trophies, the Supercopa de Espana seven times and three UEFA Super Cups and FIFA Club World Cups apiece.
But it’s not the trophies that fans will remember most. Perhaps it’s because Barcelona haven’t been short of success during the Iniesta era, but it’s his performances on the field that will form the bulk of Iniesta’s legacy. More specifically, it’s the moments of pure magic that will live long in the minds of everyone who witnessed them.
Thankfully, Iniesta blessed us with another one of these moments during Barcelona’s 5-1 thumping of Villareal. When he was taken off, he received a standing ovation. While he shone throughout the game, it was his set-up of Lionel Messi’s goal that had folks purring.
Messi danced and weaved down the field to create space. After playing a quick one-two to edge his way into the box, he stopped dead. The sudden movement caught the defence in the daze, giving Iniesta the time he needed. Once the Spaniard appeared on the edge of the box, Messi played a simple ball back to him. With his first touch, Iniesta chipped in a perfectly-weighted through ball and the Argentine applied the requisite finish.
Savour this while it lasts. Time is running out.
