Lionel Messi Praised by Luis Enrique After Barcelona vs. Manchester City

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique hailed Lionel Messi as the finest player in the world after his hat-trick against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

The forward gave Barca a three-goal advantage on the night before Neymar rounded off a 4-0 rout, with former Blaugrana boss Pep Guardiola watching on from the sidelines in his new role as Manchester City manager. After the contest, Enrique was full of praise for his team and particularly Messi, per Samuel Marsden of ESPN FC:

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It's clear that Messi is the best player in the world. He is the complete interpretation of everything football is. It would be naive to doubt Leo. He's once again been decisive.

He was present in all the game's important moments. And he even made them nervous when they gifted him the first goal! It's what happens when you give a centimetre to our most dangerous player.

We saw his ability to clinically finish his chances as if he was in his own back yard or on a school pitch.

"

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Although the scoreline suggests Barcelona were by far the better team in this clash, for much of the first period, City were more than a match for the hosts, squandering chances to get on the scoresheet.

Eventually, a slip from Fernandinho allowed Messi enough time and space in the box to put Barca in front. Two more composed finishes from the Argentinian in the second period, after City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was sent off, put the game beyond City. The Barca No. 10 then won a penalty, which Neymar missed, before setting up the Brazilian for the fourth.

Yet by his own remarkable standards, this wasn’t one of Messi’s better performances, per Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:

The superstar was making his first start since returning to the side following a recent injury layoff, and there were some small signs of rustiness in his general play. 

But when the ball found its way to Messi around the penalty area, he still came alive. His quick feet, ability to make decisions quickly and composure in an otherwise frantic part of the pitch stood out in this contest. It was another example of why so many consider the Barcelona man the greatest player of all time.

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As noted by Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph, somewhat ominously for City, it’s likely Messi will be in even better form when the two sides meet for the return fixture at the Etihad Stadium on Nov. 1:

Enrique said, per the club’s official website: “It doesn’t matter if he’s coming off an injury. It’s just the way he processes the game.”

While Barcelona have plenty of other world-class players, including Messi’s attacking companions, Luis Suarez and Neymar, the Blaugrana become a force of nature with him in the side. Not many players in the history of the game have proved to be so consistently ruthless in the final third, contributing for their respective teams when it matters the most.

Having failed to win the Champions League last term, Barcelona are looking doubly determined in European competition this season and are already well placed to progress from what looked a testing group immediately after the draw. With Messi in this kind of mood, they have to be considered favourites for glory.