Philippe Coutinho Addresses Comparisons with 'Genius' Andres Iniesta

Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has played down comparisons to club legend Andres Iniesta, calling the Spaniard a "genius" and saying he will have to improve to emulate him. 

Per Robert Summerscales of MailOnline, the Brazil international didn't hide his admiration for Iniesta, who left the Catalans for Vissel Kobe at the end of last season:

"Andres was a genius, comparisons between us are tough. I just want to be myself and win as much as I can here.

"I try to work hard regardless of my position and I work hard on every aspect of my game, I feel more of an attacking midfielder and I am comfortable on the left as this is where I've played the most.

"My goal is to improve at everything, and if I want to be like Andres Iniesta I have to improve a lot."

Coutinho joined the Blaugrana in January 2018 and has become Iniesta's direct replacement this season. All of his minutes have come in a central-midfield role, compared to his more attacking position during his Liverpool days.

With Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic plugging the holes in midfield, Coutinho has ample opportunities to run forward and dictate play in attack. But with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele playing in front of him, there are far less scoring opportunities than there were at Anfield.

The 26-year-old has taken to the role well, however, and his importance to the side was illustrated during the weekend. He and Busquets were rested in the match against Real Sociedad ahead of the UEFA Champions League showdown with PSV Eindhoven, but manager Ernesto Valverde brought him on at half-time, as the team were losing. They ended up winning 2-1.

For years, Iniesta was the gold standard for midfield play, and many use his prime years to measure others by:

He spent his entire professional career with the Blaugrana until May of this year, when he made the switch to Japan at the age of 34.

He won nine La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies with Barcelona, while also winning the World Cup once and European Championship twice with Spain. 

Even after Coutinho arrived in January, Valverde continued to use the veteran midfielder extensively. Coutinho's play improved as the season wore on, however, and by summer, he was ready to take over the mantle. 

He has some way to go to match Iniesta's enormous legacy, but his play this season suggests he's on the right track.