BARCELONA captain Lionel Messi is a man on a mission this season – having already cleared the decks domestically to focus on what looks a burning personal ambition of returning the Champions League trophy to the Camp Nou.
Messi is in quite imposing form ahead of Wednesday’s UCL quarter-final first leg at Manchester United, having clearly upped things in recent weeks as the season comes towards its boiling point. He has scored in each of his last six games – a total of 10 goals, including direct free kicks to the net in three consecutive outings against Betis, Espanyol and Villarreal.
That has taken him to 33 goals in La Liga for 2018/19, six more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. A double in the Champions League last 16 return against Lyon means he is also joint-leading scorer in this season’s competition on eight – with only Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski keeping pace.
Chris Smalling on stopping Messi: "It is a challenge I relish. Bring it on." @ManUtd
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) April 9, 2019
The burst of form has helped Barca settle their domestic matters as soon as possible. Sunday’s 2-0 victory at home to Atletico Madrid moved them 11 points clear in the La Liga table with just seven games remaining, while Ernesto Valverde's side are also through to meet Valencia in early June’s Copa del Rey final.
That has cleared the path for Messi to focus on what has always been the main aim for this season. On course for an eighth La Liga title in the last 11 years, and fifth consecutive Copa del Rey trophy, the Champions League is the big one. Especially after suffering watching on as Madrid won four of the last five European Cup trophies – often like last year taking the gloss off a blaugrana domestic double.
Messi’s mission for the season has been clear right from the beginning. On replacing Japan-bound Andres Iniesta as Barca club captain last summer, he made a rare public speech before August’s Gamper Trophy match against Boca Juniors, namechecking predecessors Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and “the great Andres” before making a clear declaration of intent.
“Last season was really good as we did the double, but we all felt bad about how it went in the Champions League,” Messi said from the centre of the pitch that night. “We promise that this season we will do all we can to bring that beautiful trophy back to the Camp Nou.”
Lionel Messi is about to lift his first league title as Barça's captain, now how beautiful will this be? pic.twitter.com/JS2FSRzCCY
— Barcelona Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) April 7, 2019
Recent years in Europe have not been good for Barca, or their number 10. Since winning a fifth Champions League crown in 2015, they have not made it past the quarter-finals, losing to Atletico Madrid, Juventus and most embarrassingly last year at Roma. Messi did not score in any of those second legs as his team went out – a stat he no doubt does not need reminding of.
Wednesday’s return to UEFA competition also brings the motivation of revisiting one of the few stadiums where Messi has played in Europe but not scored. He has 22 goals in 30 matches against English clubs – more than against teams from any other country. He has also found the net on each of his last five trips to Britain – at the Emirates, City of Manchester, Celtic Park, Stamford Bridge and last October’s double strike at Wembley against Spurs.
His only appearance to Old Trafford so far was a disappointment in the 2008 UCL semi-finals, with Paul Scholes’ screamer deciding the tie, along with a superb save by Edwin van der Sar from a shaggy haired teenage Messi.
On the opposite side that evening in Manchester over a decade ago was an also fresh faced Cristiano Ronaldo, who remains in this season’s competition even if his old team Madrid are not going to be a factor this year after their humiliation against Ajax.
Ronaldo was the dominant individual in this year’s last 16 ties, with Messi himself stating that the Portuguese had a “magic night” as his hat-trick eliminated Atletico. The Argentine would not publicly admit it, but taking back the individual titles of Champions League topscorer and Ballon D’Or must also be on his to-do-list.
Champions 2007-2008, Messi vs Cristiano en Old Trafford. pic.twitter.com/z95zVqxG8X
— Mike (@LaPosesion) May 16, 2013
Victory for the team remains most important though. The departures of Xavi and Iniesta from the Barca midfield has only increased the workload for Messi – who now spends much of the game creating and controlling the play in deep areas. Valverde's cautious and pragmatic tactics, such as a likely rigid 4-4-2 shape at Old Trafford on Wednesday, make it vital that the one player with tactical freedom can make the difference. That he is still scoring more goals than anybody else really is fantastic.
There is also a new mature sense of leadership around Messi off the pitch. 32 in June, he looks aware that he must make each opportunity count now. Required as captain to speak to the media more often after games, he is still not the most comfortable of talkers, but clearly takes his responsibility as a leader who sets the tone for his players.
“We must remain calm and prepare for the hard part, which is coming now,” he said after the Lyon second leg. “All the teams are tough now.”
The message was that Messi knows that from now on is when the season is really decided. With Barca's leader in this mood, it is very difficult to see anything other than progress against United. And another step towards returning the “beautiful trophy” to where he feels it belongs.
