Adios Lucho, but the Messi era continues

In case anyone had doubts, the Copa del Rey final proved once again that Barça start and end with Lionel Messi. The Argentine God was omnipresent in everything his side did on the pitch. He scored, assisted, organised and even recovered balls. But above all he appeared in the game's key moments. 

Messi scored the first goal with a classic one-touch finish from the edge of the box after a one-two with Neymar, a wonder which would have been 

immortalised but for the fact he's done it an infinite amount of times. Then he found Andre Gomes in acres of space with a wonderful pass in the build up to Neymar's goal. And finally he went on a solo run and invented an impossible pass for Paco Alcacer to kill the game off before half time. Leo appeared when the game was goalless, after Alaves had equalised and then to sentence the final. 

The first half was different to the second, given Alaves were not an easy rival in the first 45 minutes. But against Messi there can be no plan and Alaves becamse the umpteenth victim of this footballing monster who has devoured everything. 

It was also a game which served to revindicate Andre Gomes, who curiously played his best game of the year after replacing the injured Javier Mascherano at right-back. Luis Enrique's goodbye also saw a homage to Aleix Vidal, who was rewarded for his fight and his attitude with a cameo after a speedy recovery from a dislocated ankle. 

The Copa del Rey brings the curtain down on a hugely successful three years in charge of the club. During that time he has won nine trophies and his name is now in history as one of the club's best every managers. But while his era closes, luckily the era of Messi continues, which has surpassed coaches and presidents and continues to drive Barça. 

Messi proved once again that it is a fabulous multipurpose players who serves for everything: to win trebles, to build a trident, to save coaches and, as was the case this week, to disguise himself as a firefighter and put out institutional fires. The only positive news for the club this week once again came from the magical No. 10. The club was entrusted to Messi on Saturday and it was able to function again. As usual.