Lionel Messi News: "Watching Messi is a must for your bucket list" claims Peter Crouch
What's the story?
Lionel Messi has been in superb form this season with his sky high standards, scoring a sensational 48 goals and providing 22 assists, as Barcelona are well on course for a historic treble. He hit the headlines again last week after netting a sensational brace as Barcelona beat Liverpool 3-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Former Liverpool and England striker Peter Crouch was in awe of the talismanic Argentine and claimed that watching Messi is a must for everyone's bucket list.
In case you didn't know...
Crouch played for Liverpool from 2005 to 2008, netting 42 times in 135 appearances in all competitions. The 6 foot 7 striker was known from his dominant aerial presence and physicality. He still holds the record for most headed Premier League goals. He also scored 22 goals in 42 appearances for England.
Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona, under the captaincy of Messi, are well on course for a historic treble of trebles. They wrapped up the LaLiga title recently and have also reached the final of the Copa del Rey.
The heart of the matter
In an opinion piece written by him for the Daily Mail, Crouch was all praises for Lionel Messi.
"I never like to see Liverpool lose but when Lionel Messi scored his second goal — that free-kick you could watch again and again and again — I had to get to my feet. It wasn't to celebrate, it was simply to acknowledge his genius"
"In that spell, he has scored 600 goals. 600! He is treating the Champions League and La Liga in the same way I used to score in the Hayes and District Under-10 League. The level of football is so high now but his consistency has never faltered."
He went on to elaborate that he felt Messi is the best he has ever seen and that everyone must watch him play at least once.
“You try to think of new ways to talk about what he does and the best I can come up with is that he is a living monument; a footballer whom everyone should try to go to see at least once in their lives.
What's next?
Having wrapped up the LaLiga title and rested key players in the weekend's 2-0 loss to Celta Viga, Barcelona will head to Anfield to face Liverpool in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, with the kickoff scheduled for Wednesday, 12:30 AM IST.