Messi at the double in 4-2 win
BACK AT the scene of his 2011 Champions League final triumph, Lionel Messi delivered another display of artistry at Wembley Stadium.
Messi’s two goals helped Barcelona fight off Tottenham’s second-half resurgence and secured a 4-2 win for the visitors yesterday.
But yesterday’s win — after a three-game winless domestic run — was built on much more than Messi’s virtuoso performance.
Selflessness isn’t a trait often attached to Luis Suarez, but it was the former Liverpool striker’s clever dummies that set up both goals from Messi as he allowed the ball to drift past him into the path of the Argentine forward.
FAULTY SHOOTING
The five-time world player of the year could even afford to hit the post twice before scoring in the second half as Barcelona made it two wins out of two in Group B.
Initially, Messi settled for a supporting role as his defence-splitting pass from the halfway line to Jordi Alba helped create the opening goal.
After goalkeeper Hugo Lloris rashly rushed off his line to confront Alba the ball was squared for Philippe Coutinho to score within two minutes of kickoff.
While the opener owed much to Lloris’ poor judgement on his return from an injury sustained during a drunken-driving incident, the second goal was pure artistry. Messi also started the move that saw Suarez and Coutinho combine to set up Ivan Rakitic to volley superbly into the top of the net.
Other results: Napoli 1 Liverpool 0; PSV 1 Inter Milan 2; Porto 1 Galatasaray 0; Dortmund 3 Monaco 0; Atletico Madrid 3 Club Brugge 1; PSG 6 FK Crvena 1; Lokomotiv Moscow 0 Schalke 1.