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#1 Lionel Messi brilliance not enough
Lionel Messi is currently the best player in the world and while his status as the greatest in history might still be up for debate, his brilliance and match-winning abilities cannot be denied.
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The upturn in fortune for Barcelona earlier in the season was directly related to Messi's return from a calf injury, and he blazed his way to the top of La Liga standings with eight goals and three assists from his first five matches back from injury.
With 30 goals from just 35 matches, Atletico Madrid are Messi's second-favourite opponents after Sevilla) and he had the only chance of a largely forgettable first half, drawing a comfortable save from Jan Oblak.
Six minutes into the second, he got a requiste goal against Diego Simeone's side and put the ball in the back of the net again few minutes later only for it to be ruled out fr handball.
Even in defeat, the Argentine showcased his abilities and was by far the best player on the field. His five shots (three on target) were more than anyone else managed in the match, while he also had game-leading numbers in dribbles (10), key passes (3), and fouls won (4).
