´Genius´ Messi still amazes Valverde

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde feels football supporters should consider themselves fortunate to have been able to witness Lionel Messi’s extraordinary performances.

The 31-year-old Argentina international, who is likely to be considered one of the greatest players ever when he calls time on his glittering career, struck twice as Barca overcame a stubborn Deportivo Alaves side in a LaLiga match at Camp Nou on Saturday.

The opener was an opportunistic effort from a free-kick cleverly rolled under the opposition wall, and which happened to be Barca’s 6,000th goal in the history of Spain’s top flight.

“Messi is a genius,” Valverde told a news conference. 

“We’re lucky to be able to see him every day.

“We’re lucky to be involved in football during the era in which he is playing — we want him to pull a rabbit from the hat every day.

Leo #Messi pic.twitter.com/AKE9p9XvDB

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 18, 2018

“There’s still room for Messi to surprise us. He always surprises you — he never ceases to amaze me, honestly.

“You have to be ready to expect anything from Messi because he sees what no one else sees.”