Ter Stegen sends a message as he puts Barcelona into the Super Cup final

Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images Despite the best efforts of the officials to spoil the match, Barcelona played a remarkably consistent 120 minutes against Real Sociedad.

The change in the way that the team is playing the ball around now is marked, and all without Lionel Messi on this occasion of course.

Confidence is vastly underrated, because when a team is playing with it, when movement and speed of thought and pass is natural, not forced, the difference is quite something.

Compare and contrast the Barca of six weeks or so ago to the one of the last few weeks. Like chalk and cheese.

Credit to Ronald Koeman and his staff for sticking with his ideas in the hope, nay…