"He does magnificent things" - Manchester City star in awe of Lionel Messi after his stunning performance for Argentina
Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez has waxed lyrical about Argentina teammate Lionel Messi after the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar produced another stunning performance for La Albiceleste.
Argentina played their second friendly of the international break against Jamaica on Tuesday (September 27). They eased past the Caribbean nation, handing them a 3-0 defeat in New Jersey.
Starring in the match for La Albiceleste was their captain and star forward Lionel Messi. The PSG maestro was only on the pitch for under 40 minutes but managed to score two goals during that period.
MESSI WITH A DOUBLE OFF THE BENCH IN ARGENTINA'S FINAL GAME BEFORE THE WORLD CUP 🐐 https://t.co/pUNXVQTRPb
There were concerns about the 35-year-old's availability for the match as he was said to be suffering from illness. However, he was fit enough to be on the bench and made his presence known after coming on as a substitute.
Messi found the bottom right corner of Jamaica's goal with a low shot from outside the box to score his first goal of the night in the 86th minute. He found the back of the net again after three minutes, this time producing a stunning freekick.
Alvarez was among those who were left in awe of Messi's second-half performance. The Manchester City forward pointed out how the PSG superstar can do spectacular things even if he is only on the pitch for five minutes. He told Argentinean television channel TyC Sports:
"There are no words to say what he [Lionel Messi] is, playing five or ten minutes the whole match, he does magnificent things."
Lionel Messi has 9 goals in his last 3 games for Argentina as he has now scored 90 goals for the Argentina national team. 🐐🇦🇷 https://t.co/Pe6UxV3qW6
Messi has scored nine goals in his last three appearances for the CONMEBOL giants and appears ready for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Manchester City's Julian Alvarez impressed alongside Lionel Messi
While Lionel Messi sealed the game for Argentina, it was Julian Alvarez who opened the scoring for the side. The Manchester City forward started his third match for the South American giants and marked the occasion by finding the back of the net in the 13th minute. In 78 minutes of being on the pitch, he gave three key passes, five accurate long balls and maintained an 84% passing accuracy.
Alvarez expressed his delight at how Lionel Scaloni's team is shaping up ahead of the FIFA World Cup. He also expressed his gratitude towards his teammates and coaching staff for making him feel at home during the international break. He said [via the aforementioned source]:
"I'm happy, in all this time I've been here I've always felt very good, my teammates and the coaching staff have treated me very well. So I'm happy for the present, not only personally but for the whole group."
Alvarez only scored his second goal in what was his 11th cap for Argentina. The Manchester City forward will now be hopeful of playing an important role in Argentina's World Cup campaign.