Lionel MESSI scores and assists against Juventus

By
Roy Nemer
-
22
Lionel Messi Barcelona Juventus
Photo courtesy of The Guardian

It was the Lionel MESSI show for Barcelona against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.

Two goals an one assist against Juventus, not a bad night at the office for the world’s best player. Some were calling it revenge other were calling it the turn of a new season, call it what you want, MESSI was the star of the show.

Remarkable to think that Lionel had never scored against BUFFON, after all, he has played against the great goalkeeper a few times. But this time, Leo finally broke the curse. A great one-two with Luis SUAREZ and a precise surgical finish from the little man right before half time ensured that his team would go into the dressing room a goal to the goods.

A clinical run down the right hand side in the second half, a pass which was meant to SUAREZ but landed to RAKITIC and it was 2-0 for the Catalans. Ernesto VALVERDE’s men got the third after another MESSI run as his shot went right but BUFFON was going left. A 3-0 win meant they go joint top of the table along with Marcos ACUNA’s Sporting Lisbon in their group.

Two other Argentinians, Paulo DYBALA and Gonzalo HIGUAIN (who was left isolated up front alone but did not look too mobile when he was on the ball) started the match for the Serie A league winners.

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22 Comments

  1. Sampaoli should sub either Icardi or Dybala and play Messi as a second striker. The midfield can then be strengthen with one more box2box CM, may be Augusto. I would still want Mascherano as 5 and Piazarro next to him. Here is my midfield and attack

    —————-Icardi————————-
    ———————-Messi——————-
    ———Di Maria—————-Augusto——
    ————–Pizzaro————————–
    ——————-Mascherano—————-

  6. Difference between Barcelona vs Argetina is talent. You have a midfield and good wingers in Barcelona vs Sub par midfield and right/left back in Argentina. Sampaoli needs to learn from Valverde. Everyone was expecting Dembele or Deloefu to play the Neymar’s role. Instead he realized that for Barcelona to succeed u need to get them play close to Messi. There you get results. There is only one way to succeed against parked buses, move the ball fast and press high. when we have players like Biglia and Pizarro in midfield you can forget results. Look at the movement and passing of Rakitic and Iniesta yesterday. They were focused on moving the ball forward and not sideways. Also compare the movement of Semeido and Alba to what we have in Argentina. The day everyone realize that we are limited on talent you will appreciate what the team has achieved by reaching the finals of last 3 tournaments.IN fact we did great in the finals but luck was not with us. We still have great folks that can attack. Sampaoli is trying to play to our strengths. The basic issue which I did not see in the matches against Uruguay and the second half of Venezuela was the team was not enabling Messi. He had to literally come to half line and request for the pass. We have some folks here who say that we did bad bcos of everything going through Messi. Fed up reading the posts of certain folks who just write crap on Messi. There is just lack of movement of the players around Messi. Pizzaro, Biglia, Acosta hardly move and participate in attack. You were left with DiMaria, Icardi, Dybala and Messi to open up spaces against a parked bus.
    On the point that folks are making that we need to follow Sabella tactics, I want to let them know that he nearly failed in the first two matches of World cup. U know what happened at half time vs B&H and how we just managed to overcome Iran. Both of them parked the bus. Today teams are getting much smarter by not committing to too many folks in attack thus nullifying counter attacks. We just need to move the ball fast and enable attackers on the wings. The likes of Lanzini, Perotti, Papu Gomez are the options we can look at. As Roy mentioned the day Argentine media and fans realize that the talent is limited in midfield and defense and appreciate what Messi and team have done, you will see results.

    We just need to win the next 2 matches and for me the only hope is get Messi closer to the goal and provide him support on the right. Let Dybala play on the right and have Lanzini or Bangega behind them. With Mercado coming back I am hoping that they will be able to move the ball fast and attack from the right to centre quickly.

    • On the point that folks are making that we need to follow Sabella tactics, I want to let them know that he nearly failed in the first two matches of World cup. U know what happened at half time vs B&H and how we just managed to overcome Iran. Both of them parked the bus. Today teams are getting much smarter by not committing to too many folks in attack thus nullifying counter attacks.

      Yes I said so but don’t miss the point here. No one mentioned anything about the WC here. I Said it works against S.American teams. What’s wrong with trying a formula that surely works for certain purposes? Watch the Brazilian goals in these qualifiers under Tire, if you want to understand what I’m talking about.

      • It worked prior to 2014 because during the qualifiers not every team was parking the bus against us. This led to opportunities for counter attacks. After the success in the last few years everyone have understood the simple way to negate us is to park the bus and hit us on counter attack. There was an interesting video analysis of how Uruguay was defending deeper and deeper against us without wanting the ball. Teams have also tried to stifle counter attack by having more folks back during attack. We need to move the ball faster, get younger legs and hope luck will favor us

        • Please watch the Brazilian goals in these recent qualifiers before making inaccurate analysis. Against Uruguay did Argentina play counterattacking football? No offense but I can’t agree with your analysis. FYI BrazI’ll put 4 past that defense you are glorifying.

  7. Speaking of Higuain:

    “Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri says that Gonzalo Higuain must help the team more and not let his head drop after he failed to make an impact in the 3-0 Champions League defeat at Barcelona on Tuesday.

    Higuain cut a forlorn figure in the Juve attack as he struggled to find any opportunities to score at the Camp Nou.

    …Higuain appeared to be disinterested as his teammates were unable to set him up, and Allegri was not pleased with that attitude.

    “He started well, but he needs to be more relaxed in games like these because at times he gets annoyed and just lets his head drop,” Allegri told Mediaset. “Games like these come down to mental strength. You can’t think that you are just going to come to Barcelona and dominate”.

    http://bit.ly/LazyHiguain

  8. Hugain is cancer to any team. The guy is supposed to be a top striker but he is average at shooting, average at dribbling, not fast enough(too fat), do not work hard enough(look at suarez), not good at finishing and one on one situation, not good at heading, not good at strong shooting and lack precision as well, cannot initiate the play nor has good hold up play. ASK why REAL MADRID sold him? After he left, CR and RM has better build up play where as Juventus has gone backwards after he is in their team. He has 10 or more so games against barcelona, but zero goal or assist. Hence Argentina has good forward is myth, rathere we should focus on having good midfield and defense which will allow player like Messi to thrive. PS: I am not hating Hugain though.

    • Well, let’s be fair, El Pipita has always played well for his clubs, and better than well most of the time and for a brief time for ARGENTINA.
      He might be in a slump now with Juve which I don’t believe will last but his days with the Albicelete have long gone.

      HE was never the speedster, below average dribbler and not much of a play creator just like many other similar strikers.

      • What i want from him is hard work like suarez. if you look at suarez, he is not good at dribbling as well but he work socks off, he is running like donkey rather than thinking he is Messi. Yesterday, i see hugain multiple times raising hands in fraustration, you cannot do that if you are not very good at something.

        • We had our share of that scene with Argentina.
          Like I said, he had more than enough chances with Argentina to prove his worth but has been useless since the WC.
          His only contribution during the WC was when he let that pass go to Di Maria who scored instead of messing it up against, I forgot Belgium or Switzerland.

  9. I have mentioned this in another thread. The difference is Jordi Alba. The right full back or a right wing back is a critical element to open up space.

    • “The right full back or a right wing back is a critical element to open up space.”
      Definitely in modern era when opposition mark your key players and play 10 men defence

  10. Messi has to stay on Messi Zone and where he can actually do damage. Last two games i think he had only 3-4 attempt on goal. That’s shows that what Sampaoli trying to do isn’t working. Plus Dybala came out and admitted that he has difficulty playing with Messi because they playing in same position. Like i mentioned earlier they looked CONFUSED to me. Either one has to drop or play them different positions. Play Messi near opposition box so he doesn’t has to dribble whole team. Cannot wait to see the squad and first training to know if there any change and hope for us.

  11. The first goal, Leo was unlucky not to scored one like that vs Uruguay after an exquisite exchange with Dybala. But the run of Jordi Alba kept helped to split the opening in the Juve defense. We need that from NT players too. It dismantles defensive shapes at high tempo.

    The second goal is a showcase of what Barca players do vs what NT players don’t do to maximise the team’s scoring potential. Counterattacks. Although Argentina has many players more suited for the counterattacking game and Messi causes a lot damage with counterattacks because those situations give him a chance to run at defenders facing their own goal. I’m of the opinion that DiMaria, Dybala, Icardi, Acuna and Aguero will thrive comfortably if Sampaoli can swallow his pride and manage to integrate some of Sabella elements of press the opponent and counter swiftly before the defense shapes up. At least they work well against South American opposition. Even in Messi’s absence I don’t remember the NT at one point struggling to score in those 2012-13 qualifiers. Therefore possession football with emphasis on counter attacking and directness will definitely work well for Argentina too.
    The proof? It’s working for Tite’s Brazil now. Most goals Brazil scored in these qualifiers were counters or situations born off counters.

    • Barcelona knows Messi is a forward, Not a Midfielder , he can drop deep to Conect with a midfielders, but he’s Atacking midfielder who’s dribblings much more affective in last 30 meters than inside his own half.

    • Now this is something worth reading(no offence to anyone). Good writing Sabellista. Wonderful insight you drawn the difference between NT and Club. I do believe And hope Sampaoli learned something from those matches & Come up with something benefits NT. Had a nightmare last night that we drawn with Peru and i was so sad than i woke up and realised it was bad dream 🙂

  12. Leo is indeed a great footballer of the current era. He has proved it on number of occasions. I wish and pray being staunch Messi & albiceleste fan that he should replicate same performance against Peru and Ecuador. Because a wc without albiceleste and Messi will be a curse

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