D10S
(GOD)
I've decided to put my thoughts on last night's latest edition of El Clásico here on the FC Barcelona discussion thread because in the match day thread these things get lost in time and something like yesterday deserves to be recorded here where future newcomers or people simply browsing can refer in an easier manner to a moment that in Spain will be recalled and remembered for decades to come as have other great gestures from both respective clubs in this clash throughout history. There are too many reasons as to why what occurred last night (23/04/2017) is another amazing feat especially considering Barça's more than just sensitive situation before last night's game at the Santiago Bernabéu.
And that's what the papers all over the world reflected this morning in the news stands...
There were other great individual performances in the Barça side last night aside from Messi's messianic show which tends to occur every time the followers of this great sport all over the world start to doubt. Sergio Busquets was one who was a giant last night... Without him Barça would never have been able to accomplish the victory because in the sporadic moments Real Madrid pressed Barça like a hound of wolves baying for blood, it was him who was covering for the varying errors that were occurring at the hands of other players like Ivan Rakitić, Sergio Roberto and even Gerard Piqué. Not only did Busquets have to defend his own patch in midfield by robbing potential third quarter creative moments from the Real Madrid midfield, and then in his own unique manner start off any Barcelona attack. But he also had to cover for those mistakes and lapses of concentration from those players I mentioned.
It has to be said that Paco Alcácer in his own way completely out of position as he is a pure 9, was also very good although nothing by comparison on who should've been there which was Neymar. The Brazilian had had his suspension extended for applauding a referee's assistant when he was walking off the pitch two weeks ago after a second yellow. Thankfully after yesterday's result, that suspension has turned into a rest period for Neymar, who in actual fact gatecrashed the Barcelona dressing room to celebrate with his colleagues at the end of the game.
But last night was all about one man and only one man (if you can call him a man... He is obviously God's football representation on the planet because God loves football)
He seemed to be playing with anger, with an impetuous mannerism where aggressive runs starting from deep were the common factor. The Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane caught onto this very quickly indeed and he put Casemiro (Moon Face) on Messi and one of the first actions between the two saw Messi purposefully overuse his technique (I say overuse, as the move he opted for was totally unnecessary, watch it again and you'll see) to make the fat Brazilian look like a Pub Sunday League player. Casemiro duely scythed him down with also the same venom Messi had used on him for the move... An over the top physically aggressive move to stop Messi getting away. That should've been the red card for Casemiro right then and end of. But the referee was permissible with many things, especially with the manhunt on Messi which Casemiro was a major protagonist in and Gerard Piqué reflected that on a comment he made after the game where he responded to the question on what his thoughts were on the physical aspect of Real Madrid's play foremost on Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos' comments defending his teammates on that for him there wasn't any major physical aspect to the game on their part and that for him his red card should've at most been a yellow. Piqué responded with; "Of course... The problem they had tonight is that they've been used to permissible officiating all season"
Ex-Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello for Fox Sports also had a few things to say about what occurred in the game with these being some of the quotes;
On the Sergio Ramos red card tackle on Messi: "You only have to see that particular moment. Look at the tackle, it's criminal. He was correctly red carded"
On the difference between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo: "Messi is a genius, Cristiano is a great player. It's incredible to see what Messi did in the game because he took the team on his shoulders and lifted them. He's a genius and everything else varies from fantastic players or great players because where Cristiano is something so special in the area and has a nose for the goal opportunity, Messi can diversify his game and play anywhere by dominating and becoming the focal point of the adversary. How many different things have we seen Messi do over the years? Well today I saw him play in a way I've never seen him play and it was totally different"
On how La Liga stands now: "La Liga is very much alive with this result. Real Madrid look to be in good physical condition, but the two games they have coming up with Atlético Madrid will be like playing 4 games in a week physically."
But some things are just meant to be and sometimes they're designed in that way by a divine being because it means something more special. Only a few nights ago FC Barcelona were eliminated by a great Juventus side from the Champions League and at that moment Messi stood on 498 official club goals for Barça. He didn't score a single goal in the two legged tie, but neither did anyone else in the Barcelona side (that's another story). It's as if destiny took it all to a more meaningful happening, something more registered in the Culé mindset and that's the eternal enemy, the house of everything that's anti-Barça, the Santiago Bernabéu. It wouldn't have been enough to have just scored one goal there and reach that 500 feat. No! It would be two goals there and both beautiful works of art in different ways that describe everything Messi has been about in his career where goalscoring is in question.... Oh, but it doesn't end there... God works in mysterious ways they always tell us and not only did he score two goals, have a great individual performance, was also the object of a manhunt, but he went and scored the winner in the very last second of the two minutes the referee had awarded for injury-time. No more time to play because it also gave him time to be inspired with a particularly unusual method of celebrating a goal for him. A godly mercurial action which is designed to leave a message aside from his magic.
500 were accomplished goals at the Santiago Bernabéu which resulted in a victory for Barcelona and sent them to first place putting all the pressure on their rival.
It couldn't have been written in a more fitting way when doubters were already creeping out of dark corners questioning the whole symphony the supreme being had set for everyone to enjoy in the shape of Lionel Messi.