Barca president hails magical Messi
Reuters - Sunday 14 March 2010, 21:36
MADRID - Lionel Messi's stunning
hat-trick against Valencia on Sunday underlined the Argentina
forward's status as FIFA World Player of the Year and earned him
effusive praise from Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
La Liga top scorer Messi netted his 20th, 21st and 22nd
goals of the season to fire the European champions to a 3-0
victory over Valencia.
"He was brilliant, spectacular," Laporta told reporters.
"Today Leo deserves all the plaudits because the match was
very tight," he added. "He's a genius but he manages to stay
humble and respectful."
Barca, who surrendered top spot to arch-rivals Real Madrid
last weekend when they were held to a 2-2 draw at Almeria,
needed a convincing performance to get their title defence back
on course and it was Messi who made the difference.
He ghosted through the Valencia defence in the 56th minute
and rifled a close-range shot past goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez.
His second and third goals came from assists by France
captain Thierry Henry.
Henry lofted the ball out to Messi on the right in the 81st,
and he sprinted into the area to curl the ball beyond Sanchez,
before again leaving the visiting defence flat-footed and
dinking the ball past the Valencia keeper into the net.
Valencia coach Unai Emery praised his players for keeping
Barca at bay in the first half but said Messi had been the
difference.
"He is possibly the best player in the world and part of a
great team like Barcelona," he told a news conference.
Assistant Barca coach Tito Vilanova, on the bench in place
of the suspended Pep Guardiola, paid tribute to substitute
Henry, who scored a hat-trick against Valencia last season.
"Bringing Henry on gave us more depth and we were above all
able to pressure Valencia much more as they brought the ball out
of defence," he said at a news conference. "Henry created more
freedom of movement (for Messi)."
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