As the holiday season approaches, Barcelona’s main mission is clear: survive the pressure and secure points rather than pursue dazzling football. During this critical stretch, Lionel Messi remains sidelined and unable to help the team on the field.

Following Barcelona’s 2-0 Champions League win over BATE Borisov, Gerard Piqué summed it up well: “The most important thing is winning, and we did that.” Since the summer, challenges have piled up. FIFA’s transfer ban (which kept newcomers Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal from playing until January), the departures of Pedro and Xavi, and a packed fixture list forced Barcelona fans to recalibrate expectations. After Messi, their best player, also went down with injury, fans accepted that for now, winning — not beautiful football — must be the club’s top priority.

According to BD Cricket Live, Messi suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee during a match against Las Palmas about a month ago. The club’s medical staff estimated a recovery time of seven to eight weeks. Although Messi has completed his conservative treatment and is progressing well, he still isn’t running yet. Both Barcelona and Messi himself are optimistic about a potential return in time for the massive El Clásico clash against Real Madrid on November 21.

Messi’s injury, coupled with Andrés Iniesta’s absence, has given Barcelona’s recent matches a survival-first flavor. Yet, despite these setbacks, the team has coped admirably. During Messi’s time on the sidelines, Barcelona played five games — three in La Liga and two in the Champions League — securing four wins and suffering only one loss, an away defeat to Sevilla.

In La Liga, Barcelona sits level on points with Real Madrid, while in the Champions League group stage, they remain at the top. Thanks to the stellar performances of Neymar and Luis Suárez, Barcelona’s goal-scoring prowess hasn’t diminished much. BD Cricket Live reports that in Messi’s absence, the team netted 14 goals — Neymar and Suárez accounted for 11 of them, with Ivan Rakitić adding two and Sergi Roberto contributing one.

While the team’s style might not currently dazzle fans, the results speak for themselves. With almost no ability to rotate players and missing the world’s best footballer, manager Luis Enrique has managed to steady the ship, earning praise from the club’s leadership for keeping Barcelona competitive through rough waters.