What’s the story?
Thierry Henry speaking after the El Clasico on Sunday praised the wonderful performance of Barcelona's main man Lionel Messi. Henry, speaking with Sky Sports, said: “Easy to tell you why it happened (Barcelona winning), Lionel Messi”.
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“They came with a plan, they did it ever so well. Ivan Rakitic scored an amazing goal but it does help because the man (Messi) wanted to do something today. He saw Ronaldo scoring his 100th goal in the Champions League before him. He saw that and he had to respond”, he continued.
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“I’ve said it so many times – Ronaldo helped Messi to be better, and Messi helps Ronaldo to be better. We saw that again – he had to respond to what Ronaldo did in midweek,” the former Arsenal man concluded.
In case you didn’t know...
Barcelona secured a last-gasp victory over Real Madrid in the La Liga thanks to their little Argentine genius Lionel Messi. The Number 10’s first goal helped his team (Barcelona) draw level before half-time after Casemiro had given Real Madrid the lead.
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However, his most telling contribution was undoubtedly the side foot finish past the near post to win the game for the defending champions in the 92nd minute of the game.
The heart of the matter
The point Thierry Henry makes is a very valid one; the competition between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has undoubtedly pushed the duo to unbelievable heights. The Real Madrid man might be lagging behind a bit this season, with 31 goals and 12 assists (not a bad return by any stretch of the imagination), but has come up with the goods when his team needed him the most (ask Bayern Munich).
Messi has scored a staggering 47 goals in 46 appearances, with 13 assists. With all the talks of him being on the wane, these stats go a long long way to prove that he has more than enough in his tank for years.
What’s next?
The La Liga title race has been re-opened thanks to Messi’ brilliance, with Barcelona edging Real Madrid at the top of the table on goal difference. However, the ball still remains in Real Madrid's court, who have a game in hand over their rivals and a relatively easier fixture list.
Author’s Take
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are definitely the best of the present generation, and perhaps any other generation. The competition between them and their teams makes for one of the most interesting and intriguing narratives in modern football; long may it continue.
