Messi expected to end goal drought, turn things around
MADRID : There couldn’t be a better time for Lionel Messi to end his scoring drought than in the clasico against Real Madrid.
With Barcelona struggling and desperately needing a victory to stay close to its rival in the Spanish league, Messi could help turn things around on Saturday if he can find the net again after five scoreless games against Madrid. Barcelona enters the home game at Camp Nou six points behind Madrid, and another setback could leave it in a difficult position to fight for a third straight league title. Messi hasn’t played badly in recent clasicos, but his last goal against Madrid came almost three years ago when he had a hat trick in a 4-3 win at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
He hasn’t scored in the four games since, not even in the stunning 4-0 win at the Bernabeu last season, when Messi came off the bench in the second half after a long injury layoff. Barcelona has won two of the last five games against Madrid, but it’s been 400 minutes since Messi last scored. Since that hat trick in March 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo has attracted most of the headlines in the clasico, having scored three times, including the late game-winner at Camp Nou last season that ended Barcelona’s record 39-game unbeaten streak. “They’re two exceptional players,” Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. “Cristiano is doing exceptional, incredible things, I hope he carries on like this.”
Messi remains the all-time leading scorer in the clasico with 21 in 32 matches, but at Camp Nou it’s been Ronaldo who has thrived the most.
MAXWELL EXPRESSED HIS DISAPPOINTMENT AT SOME OF THE DECISIONS BY WADE, HIS CAPTAIN IN THE STATE SIDE, TO BAT AHEAD OF HIM IN MATCHES THIS YEAR.
SYDNEY: Australia coach Darren Lehmann is to hold clear-the-air talks ahead of the one-day series against New Zealand after recalled all-rounder Glenn Maxwell criticised wicket-keeper Matt Wade.
Maxwell said on Thursday that he had been disappointed at some of the decisions by Wade, his captain in the Victoria state side, to bat ahead of him in matches this year.
“I think the wicket-keeper should be batting at seven unless you’re trying to squeeze an extra bowler into your line-up,” Maxwell said on Thursday.
When asked why Wade had batted ahead of him, Maxwell replied: “Because he’s captain, and he chooses the batting order.”
Lehmann said he would speak to power-hitting Maxwell to try and resolve the issue.
“Yeah, we will (speak about it),” Lehmann told reporters at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
“Obviously disappointed but we’ll work through those issues. It’s difficult but again we’ll work through it behind the scenes.
“We’re confident they can work together.”
Maxwell, who was dropped from the Australian team after failing to post any substantial scores in the previous 12 months, has said he would like to push for a recall to the test side for next year’s tour of India.
His batting, however, had not even made him an option for the just completed third Test against South Africa, where Australia overhauled their side in an effort to shake them out of a slump, the coach said.
“(He) hasn’t made a hundred for two years,” Lehmann added.
“Are you going to pick a bloke who hasn’t made a hundred in two years?”
Victoria batsman Rob Quiney had some blunt advice for his team mate Maxwell.
“I think he just needs to lip it and just make some runs,” Quiney told EON Sports radio on Friday.