Kevin-Prince Boateng Says Playing with Lionel Messi at Barcelona Is 'Magical'

New Barcelona signing Kevin-Prince Boateng has said that playing alongside Lionel Messi is "magical" because "he can do everything on his own." 

The 31-year-old was a surprise January signing for Barca, and he made his debut for the Catalan club in their 2-0 loss to Sevilla in the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg last month.

Boateng has enjoyed a varied career, playing for nine clubs before moving on loan to Barca from Sassuolo:

He met Barca on eight previous occasions, six with Milan and two with Las Palmas.

And Boateng has made it clear he prefers playing with Messi than against him, per La Vanguardia (h/t Marca):

"I can honestly tell you that playing against Messi is very difficult. But seeing him now on the field is magical. He can do everything on his own, it is incredible. Playing for this team is the most exciting thing that can happen to you and even at my age, although I'm a little old, it is a dream to play here."

Barca bounced back from their 2-0 defeat to Sevilla to beat them 6-1 in the return leg and advance to the semi-finals.

They have been drawn against Real Madrid and play the first leg of the tie at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

It is unlikely Boateng will be included in the starting XI given his position as attacking back-up for Luis Suarez. But Messi could also be absent. 

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner received treatment for a thigh injury in Saturday's 2-2 home draw with Valencia in La Liga. 

And Barca manager Ernesto Valverde was cagey about whether he'd be ready for Wednesday's El Clasico:

It is not necessarily the end of the world for Barcelona if Messi cannot play against Real. The Blaugrana thrashed their arch rivals 5-1 in La Liga back in October when the Argentinian was sidelined.

But the Spanish champions do have a relatively poor record overall this season when Messi has not played:

Given it is a two-legged affair and Barcelona have key matches coming up in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, Valverde is unlikely to risk Messi unless he is fully fit.