Even with the decline in his level, he still looks far superior to everyone on the pitch almost all the time. That actually is making me appreciate him even more.
Lionel Messi
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The guy has unbelievable composure and close control as such pressing him is a pointless affair.
The way he finishes so calmly inside the box is unparalleled
Ability-wise he's the best I've seen and he's definitely a contender for that GOAT status, but I just think the term 'greatest' takes more into account than ability alone.
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If you don't watch his games you can fool yourself into thinking someone else is better. That's the only way. I've never seen anyone even close
Would he do it on a cold windy night at Stoke though? 
Not sure how anyone can call themselves a football fan and not make an effort to watch Messi.
Would he do it on a cold windy night at Stoke though?
Lukaku scored away to Stoke, I see no reason why Messi couldn't sneak a tap in.
I actually find it bizarre how people think Ronaldo is better than Messi. Yes Ronaldo is exceptional, there's no arguing that, but overall, he doesn't come close to Messi's expertise imo. Ronaldo scores goals, Messi does that and a thousand other things.
This was just an ordinary performance from Messi. He's done it all before, 100 times over. But watching it never gets old.
Not PL proven tho.
Ronaldo is the top assister in the CL so clearly there’s more to hig game than just goals.
Messi is more involved but it’s been arguable for a good while over who is more effective for a while.
He certainly is
I wouldn't swap Ronaldo for Messi and its not a case of superior talent. Messi as a talent is like Platini and Muller rolled into one laboratory like package, truly staggering. Because of that totality of skill however, he essentially becomes the offense which is why a bad Messi game (granted extremely rare) can be lethal because often it seems to drag the whole team down.
A Ronaldo bad or average game is also vastly superior to a bad or average game from Messi. He will pout and be selfish and vain but then nab you a header and a scrappy tap in. When Messi is not involved, that same threat doesn't seem apparent and he just devolves into a state of passivity. Could definitely be a biased take and I'm not denying it but craving that CL win (after 4 final losses as a fan) I personally wouldn't make the swap if it was on the table.
A Ronaldo bad or average game is also vastly superior to a bad or average game from Messi. He will pout and be selfish and vain but then nab you a header and a scrappy tap in. When Messi is not involved, that same threat doesn't seem apparent and he just devolves into a state of passivity. Could definitely be a biased take and I'm not denying it but craving that CL win (after 4 final losses as a fan) I personally wouldn't make the swap if it was on the table.
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Saw a stat that he has 8 more goals against English top 6 clubs than Ronaldo despite never playing in the PL. I think people need to drop the whole "could he do it in England like Ronnie did" argument.
Problem with Messi is he's stopped putting performances in like this when it really matters a long time ago.
Don't blame you at all, if you want someone to stand up when it matters Ronaldo is your man.
There's only one thing more dangerous than Messi: a motivated Messi.
It really has felt that way for the longest time now. Just goal after goal after goal in big match situations sometimes even after vast periods of underwhelming play. What is underlooked about Ronaldo is how good an off ball player he has emerged as in more recent years. He's made up for a slight decline in space by becoming an expert in spacing close to goal. You can ever take your eyes of him during a game.
He puts performances like this one 20 or 30 times a year and a lot of them when it really matters, the only difference is that today he managed to find himself in a position to score (which usually needs some help from his teammates) and in other games he didn't.
It's always the same, if he scores a couple he did great even tho sometimes he's not too hot, other times he's the best player in his team, loses and suddenly he's not showing up. No player has carried his team through 7 UCL knockout games scoring in every single one of them and being the MVP, that's the standard you guys are judging him on.
If he losses in QF then he didn't show up because he's bound to single-handedly win games, if he goes out in Semis, the same, and if he loses 4 international finals with Argentina he just bottles it in finals. As always, win everything or bust for him.
This, he was running and pressing all game. Been waiting on him to show that fire and he delivered today. A master at work.
When he's the best player on his team, or pitch and his team loses I have no problem with it and don't hold him to account (see vs France). What I don't like is when he has a bad game and the blame from the media automatically falls to a teammate as if his passive play doesn't have to be held to account because of his genius.
Wasn't he rested in his previous game? Last season before the Roma game he played in a league match when they had pretty much sewed up the league - so stupid. If Barca rest him adequately maybe they'll get a more active Messi in the CL KO rounds.
The GOAT for sure even if i'm a Real Madrid fan. The only thing than I dont like about him is his lack of leadership.
He was on fire tonight, totally on a different level to anyone else.
Ronaldo didn't touch the ball in the last three matches last Champions League, so no, that's not true at all.
He's still firmly below Eder for me.
I'm so used to that pass to Alba that it no longer amazes me. I've become immune to it.
Really odd to see how much praise he got last night for playmaking.....like he hasn't been doing that much for both Barca and Argentina for the last 18 months or so.
It was always clear he'd be able to do it and drop into midfield if he wanted to prolong his career, I didn't expect for him to dominate and dictate games so well while continuing to being the biggest goal threat in the world on top of that.
The only player I can just.....watch. Regardless of any scoreline or what the purpose of the game is. It's yeah, I dunno, he's fantastic. The only other sportsman that compares, for me, is Jordan.
It was always clear he'd be able to do it and drop into midfield if he wanted to prolong his career, I didn't expect for him to dominate and dictate games so well while continuing to being the biggest goal threat in the world on top of that.
The only player I can just.....watch. Regardless of any scoreline or what the purpose of the game is. It's yeah, I dunno, he's fantastic. The only other sportsman that compares, for me, is Jordan.
He could do that in his sleep, really unbelievable how effortless he makes those kind of passes
Yep. One thing doing this against a depleted Spurs team, another thing to bring this game during the final stages of CL where he has failed for some time now.
Just google his record or for that matter just watch him play in the clasico in the past 2 seasons. If a clasico is not a big game then I don't know what is. It seems that Barca is so dominant in La Liga that him dominating Real Madrid is taken as a given.
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The GOAT
Agreed. After hearing the hype I checked out the whole match on rewatch. He was brilliant but unexceptionally so by his genius standards. It's as if people are wanting to rediscover him again.
Last night he was impressive when defending, kept Spurs players under pressure and if you watch the 20-30 seconds prior to his 2nd goal, you'll see how he was working very hard off the ball. That aspect of the game, impressed me more than he did when attacking
Plays well vs spurs 2nd midfield = goat.
Stands to reason.
These hyperlatives are unnecessary.
Magnificent performance all the same.
Platini/Maradona esque passing. There's no question Messi can have a second career from now until retirement as a deeper sitting player. It's impressive what he can do without even having to dribble a man - just the sheer respect the mere threat of him doing so has players standing off him.
But as has been said, needs to be doing these things in the biggest CL games against the best midfielders and midfields to truly take par with what has gone before him in this aspect of his game.
Stands to reason.
These hyperlatives are unnecessary.
Magnificent performance all the same.
Platini/Maradona esque passing. There's no question Messi can have a second career from now until retirement as a deeper sitting player. It's impressive what he can do without even having to dribble a man - just the sheer respect the mere threat of him doing so has players standing off him.
But as has been said, needs to be doing these things in the biggest CL games against the best midfielders and midfields to truly take par with what has gone before him in this aspect of his game.
Needs to do something that he has done repeatedly in his career. Great.
I have a good friend who's half Argentinian. He tells me that his mates were watching the game and were absolutely seething (Why the f@ck cannot he do this for the national team).
Massive performance from the greatest player from our era. I hate the term GOAT. It's absolutely impossible to compare his accomplishments to let's say Maradona in the late eighties or Pele at his prime. Totally different training methods, training, nutrition and game planning. And dont even get me started on the way skill players were mercilessly hacked to pieces back in the day.
Massive performance from the greatest player from our era. I hate the term GOAT. It's absolutely impossible to compare his accomplishments to let's say Maradona in the late eighties or Pele at his prime. Totally different training methods, training, nutrition and game planning. And dont even get me started on the way skill players were mercilessly hacked to pieces back in the day.
Magic