Is anyone watching the Champions League game tonight? I watched it just to see Messi play and he's certainly not disappointing. As good as Barcelona are, Messi just looks sometimes as if he's wandered here from another planet inhabited by footballing super-beings - two fabulous contrasting goals, one a delicate flick over the advancing keeper and a rasping no-backlift shot after a lateral run across goal, and a wealth of lovely touches - absolutely beautiful to watch.
I watched it as well, thought to myself 'Barcelona are on, this should be a good one'. 7-1! 10-2 on aggregate! You're darn right about Messi, the things he can do are immense, as if the football itself is simply another limb on his body. Greatest footballer of all time (well of my lifetime at least).
It's not as if Barcelona are flashy or extravagant either - they do the simple things very, very well - passing, running on and off the ball, playing for each other and never, ever rushing. All in all, exhilarating and scary in equal measure. Cracking final goal for Leverkusen as well.
I'll watch the highlights. Didn't watch the love show. Was watching a recording of the QPR documentary. Fascinating. Warnock comes out of it very well I thought.
Also, the strange thing about Messi is that he's never really been accepted by the Argentine public. He went to Barcelona when he was 13 so consequently he speaks with a broad Catalan accent that most Argies find objectionable.
Simply put... He has edged past Zidane as the best player I've ever seen!! If Per leaves Barcelona for Chelski he is an idiot... Just about every football manager on this planet would happily sacrifice a testicle to coach this Barcelona side.
El Diego Maradona is the greatest footballer of all time. The absolute Numero Uno. Messi and Gazza in second and third places.
Just watched the documentary on him which I missed first time round - the video of him playing when he was five years old is jaw-dropping and I always thought the contract written on the table napkin was a myth. And we've probably got ten more years of watching him. Brilliant.
http://www.cafc4ever.co.uk/html/4_ever_on_football.html Gazza and Messi are my two none CAFC topics now up! The messi one is new btw
A bit disappointing that the media don't talk about Gomez's 4 goal haul like they did messi. His 4th was a top, top finish.
ja i saw that mary. kwolity. 14 goals in 2 games for bavaria. trouble with super mario is that he usually needs 4 chances to stick one away. last night he was clinical
I can't believe you boys are mentioning Gomez in the same breath as Messi...!! He's not fit to lace his boots imo.
I'm by no means saying he is in the same league - but just find it amusing that he scores 4 and it was ''unheard of'' for someone to score 4 in the champions league knock out etc etc, but one week later someone else does it and it isn't acknowledges. In the same vein that the fact Bayern scoring 7 was ignored whilst Barca scoring 7 was thrown in everyones faces.
Basel qualified from a poor poor group, it isn't surprising that they got found out in the first knockout phase!
I wouldn't say United and Benfica would contribute to a poor group. I think Basel are a good side, but the occasion got to them. Bar the 2 experienced attackers, it was a relatively young and inexperienced team. Shaqiri has already got his move to Bayern, and expect many of the others will be picked from them again in the summer.
