Chelsea no big deal for Messi
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Article summary
Lionel Messi insists FC Barcelona's much-anticipated match with Chelsea FC tonight is "just another game" despite some loaded memories of previous meetings.
Article body
When UEFA Champions League holders FC Barcelona lost 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Matchday 3 it was their Argentinian forward Lionel Messi who carried most threat for the Spanish champions.
Stellar performances
It was his second consecutive stellar display in London following his role in Barça's stunning 2-1 victory against Chelsea during last season's march to the final. However, the last time he faced José Mourinho's team at Camp Nou it was the beginning of months of heartbreak for the young star. He left the pitch after barely half an hour struggling with the thigh injury which would mean him missing the UEFA Champions League final and only playing a minor role in the FIFA World Cup for Argentina.
'Just another game'
With happy timing Messi has just recovered from a different injury - a badly twisted ankle - and is fit to play having missed Barcelona's 3-0 victory over RC Recreativo de Huelva at the weekend. However, he is already too wise to attach special sentiment to the opportunity presented by Matchday 4 to exorcise any ghosts from last season. "I'm quite clear in my own mind that I will treat this match as just another game," he said. "A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the last time I faced Chelsea and now the only thing on my mind is to win an important match where we need three points"
Shakespearean pose
Messi was pictured in a Shakespearean pose on the front page of a local sports newspaper prior to the match - clutching a skull and pretending to utter the famous "to be or not to be" passage from Hamlet. He liked the image and predicted that he would meet his night of destiny head on when battle commences with Chelsea. "Chelsea have changed and evolved a little bit in their playing style because they have added some new, quality players, but what has stayed the same is that they are tough to play against and very hard to beat," he said. "I hope we are capable of that but the value of winning, to me, is simply to make sure we defend our title well rather than put right some bad memories."