Messi Must Be More Involved for Barcelona in Second Clasico — Coach

By Daily Sports on March 2, 2019

Barcelona need to ensure Lionel Messi is more involved in Saturday’s La Liga Clasico at Real Madrid than he was in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semifinal second-leg victory over their arch-rivals, coach Ernesto Valverde said.

Messi, all-time top scorer in the Clasico, was unusually quiet in his side’s 3-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu, a game in which Real had many more chances but Barca were more clinical.

The Argentine has had fitness issues over the last month but bagged a hat trick and notched an assist in the 4-2 win at Sevilla last weekend.

“I think he is in good shape, very good shape. You always expect a lot of your players, Messi included,” Valverde told a news conference on Friday.

“He always performs, even though in some games he performs less than in others. We have to play well in order for him to perform.”

The coach gave an honest assessment of his side’s overall display in the Cup game, in which Barca had only four shots to Real’s 14.

“It’s true that the other day there were spells when we did not play well, they kept arriving in our area and looked dangerous and we only created two or three chances. The aim is always to improve and create more chances,” he added.

Barca, who have won seven of the last 10 La Liga titles lead the standings with seven points over nearest challengers Atletico Madrid and hold a nine-point advantage over Real.

“We are playing for points, it’s a different competition to Wednesday and it’s difficult to get the same result in two games in a row but we will try and win,” Valverde added. (ESPN)

•Photo shows Lionel Messi 

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 2, 2019


 

You may also like...
NFF Assures Super Falcons Coach Of Full Support...

Chelsea ‘A long way’ Behind Liverpool, Warns Lampard...

Rashidi Yekini Was Murdered — Segun Odegbami

Usain Bolt surges past Justin Gatlin to win...

U-20 World Cup: Nigeria shocks host Argentina 2-0...

Plateau United end first stanza as champions

 

Latest News CAF awards: Ajibade, Nnadozie, Edo Queens bag nominations Lagos SWAN, PAACC Hold SWAN Day At Golfview Hotels, Ikeja Crisis looms as Eagles’ form raises AFCON, W’Cup concerns Ex-Nigerian Super Falcons player handcuffed, children assaulted as police storm Anambra Football Academy Sports NFF, teammates console Nwabali on father’s death Abia Govt hails Nigeria Olympic Committee over staging an admin course in Umuahia Libya deliver Eagles 2025 AFCON ticket Eagles battle Cheetahs for 2025 AFCON ticket Yellow Greens gear up for T20 W’Cup qualifiers Tyson tips Fury to beat Joshua Sadiq absent as 22 Eagles train in Abidjan Eagles’ striking trio hot for Cheetahs, Amavubi clashes

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,164 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,307 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,370 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,015 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,948 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,904 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,743 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,311 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,366 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,054 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,507 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,931 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media