Lionel Messi does it again!
In the latest Champions League fixture, Messi shows us, yet again, that Spanish football is on a class of its own. The 31-year-old superstar proves that he still got it, thrusting Barcelona to a 4-2 victory against one of Premier League’s top dogs; Tottenham Hotspurs.
Since the beginning of the UCL this year, Messi has been on a mission, scoring a hat-trick against PSV Eindhoven in his opening game in the tournament. It would seem that Spurs could not stop him on this path as he put up two against them, and an assist, recording an impressive, 5 goals, in two matches.
In the early stages of the match, Phillipe Coutinho pushed the Spanish side to a 1-0 lead and, roughly twenty minutes later, it looked like Ivan Rakitic had solidified what seems to be a one-sided match. But Spurs proved why they are top tier team, staying in the game after Harry Kane’s 52nd-minute goal. Messi’s first goal of the game which came at the 58th minute almost succeeded in breaking Tottenham’s will, but Eric Lamella’s late game goal put the Spurs right back into it.
It was a 3-2 competitive matchup that could have gone either way until the captain – Messi – finally put the game on lock. He scored his second goal in the last minute of the game, securing Barcelona’s win. Messi’s brilliance has propelled them to another UCL win and it is amazing to see that the atomic flea still has it – after over a decade of playing football.
One would think that the eventuality of the world cup would break the Argentinian superstar, but it is matches like this that proves yet again just how great a footballer Messi is. His skills on the pitch and mental toughness are always on display when he laces up his boots.
You know that you are the greatest when the opposition practically forfeits mentally, on realising that you are their opponent.
In a pregame interview, Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham’s manager stated, “I am not going to try to find a solution. I am going to say to the players: ‘Enjoy playing against Messi.‘ This is the type of player that you are going to remember. For your ego, it’s a thing that you are going to tell your kids and grandkids.”
Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Juventus, sceptics have called out Messi, claiming that he cannot play outside his comfort zone of Spain, but with his performance last night, the same sceptics have been shut up. It’s almost as if he enjoys scoring against English teams.
He has 22 goals against EPL teams in the UCL and 105 total goals in UCL. A record that clearly proves Messi’s GOAT status.
For Chinedu Okafor, its all about making an impact with words, creating a profound impression on the audience with the intended narrative.
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