Barca, Messi focus on winning titles

MADRID: With the distraction of two individual scoring records safely out of the way, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, pictured, can turn his full focus on helping the Spanish club win the major silverware that eluded them last season.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique was as effusive as anyone in his praise of the Barca and Argentina captain, who this week added the all-time Champions League scoring record to the La Liga-best tally he set at the weekend.

But both Messi and Luis Enrique know all that will be forgotten unless Barca add another Champions League or La Liga title to the trophy cabinet, or at least a King’s Cup and preferably all three in 2014/15.

As the Catalan side prepare for Sunday’s La Liga game at fourthplaced Valencia, there are signs they are beginning to move up the gears after a patchy couple of months.

This week’s 4-0 win at APOEL Nicosia followed hard on the heels of last week’s 5-1 drubbing of Sevilla, while new signing Luis Suarez finally opened his Barcelona account in Cyprus. Although it took him longer than expected to score, the Uruguay forward appears to have slotted seamlessly into the Barcelona attack alongside Messi and Neymar.

“This is the version of Barca I would like to see all season long,” Luis Enrique said.

“If we play like that all the time it is going to be very difficult for anyone to beat us,” said the former Spain midfielder, who played for both Barca and Real Madrid.

Second-placed Barcelona are two points behind leaders Real Madrid after 12 matches and could see the gap stretch to five if the European champions win at Malaga tomorrow.

A win for Real in Andalusia will set a club record for consecutive victories of 16 and they were last beaten in mid-September, a 2-1 home reverse to champions Atletico Madrid.

Atletico, who joined Barca and Real in the last 16 of the Champions League this week, are third, two points behind Barca, ahead of their match at Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.

Ex-Manchester United boss David Moyes, whose debut as coach of Real Sociedad at Deportivo ended in a 0-0 draw, will seek a first win at home to Elche in today’s game. – Reuters