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World Cup or not, Lionel Messi is already the greatest

With the World cup  looming, the usual questions have once again resurfaced in regards to Lionel Messi’s standing in the pantheon of football’s all-time greats. There’s no denying that there’s a stone left unturned in the Barcelona  legend’s storied career. For many pundits a World Cup victory is all that stands in the way of immortality for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, but despite having never lifted the most prestigious of titles in the world of international football the Argentine has shown through his dominance at Barcelona that he still deserves to go down as the best there’s ever been. Messi’s plethora of titles and personal accolades is one that stands tall above the rest but look beyond these tangibles from such an accomplished career and you see a player whose skillset is almost celestial. There are few that have produced the kind of quality on the pitch that the diminutive Argentine has. It’s easy to point to his goalscoring feats but Messi’s brilliance is...
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Barca boss Valverde: “In the end you rely on Messi's genius"

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde spoke to the media after Lionel Messi's first-half free-kick secured victory for his side over Atlético Madrid, opening an eight-point gap at the top of LaLiga. Read what Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone had to say after the match. "In the end you depend on Messi's genius" Barça had to suffer for that victory. That's because of how important the points are. I think they barely had any chances. The disallowed goal, perhaps. But you always have the feeling that they can score against you at any moment, such is the level they're at as a team. Your team responded again in a big match I've no doubts about that. The team came together. We conscious that we have to be together in order to apply pressure and hang on when they dominate. I knew that the team was going to respond. But of course, in the end you depend on Messi's genius. We handled the game well.  Messi's free-kick I was thinking ab...
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Messi free kick gives Barcelona win over Atletico, extends lead

Lionel Messi scored from a free kick for his third straight game as Barcelona beat second-place Atletico Madrid 1-0 Sunday to increase its lead at the top of the Spanish league to eight points. Messi dipped a shot over the wall in the 26th minute to take his league-leading tally to 24 this season and 32 in all competitions. It was Messi's sixth goal from a free kick this season, and his third straight with successful free kicks against Girona and Las Palmas. Barcelona remained undefeated after 27 rounds and dealt Atletico just its second defeat in the league this season. Atletico coach Diego Simeone said the league was Barcelona's to win. "The numbers are what they are. Barcelona wouldn't normally lose four or five games in what they have left," Simeone said. "But this is football, and we have to go out there to win the next match and think about how we can continue to improve." Ernesto Valverde's side now has a comfortable lead with 11 ...
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Barca agree deal for Gremio’s Arthur.

Barcelona have a reached an agreement in principle with Brazilian club Gremio to sign midfielder Arthur next year in a deal worth up to 40 million euros ($49.2 million), according to reports in Spain on Wednesday. “FC Barcelona have taken an almost definitive step to seal the recruitment of Arthur,” wrote Catalan daily Sport, who reported the transfer fee would be 30 million euros with a further 10 million in bonuses. Mundo Deportivo claimed Barca director of football Robert Fernandez went to Porto Alegre “to seal the transfer of Arthur, with whom the club have reached a deal starting from January 2019”. The 21-year-old is expected to arrive during next season’s winter transfer window, although Madrid-based Marca suggested he could join the club this summer if Barca reduce the number of non-EU players in their squad. Arthur starred in last year’s Copa Libertadores final as Gremio defeated Lanus of Argentina 3-1 on aggregate to claim the title for a third time. But a leaked photogra...
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Reports: Barca Star To Accept Offer From Shock Club

One of FC Barcelona’s star players is reportedly set to accept a bid from a shock club outside of Europe. Veteran midfielder Andres Iniesta has been linked with a move away from the Catalan giants, and according to  Corriere dello Sport , he is willing to leave the club. It was recently reportedly that an unnamed Chinese Super League side was after his signature, but the report has now named Tianjin Quanjian interested in the midfielder. Iniesta, who signed a lifetime contract at the Blaugrana last year, would reportedly be allowed to leave on a free as a gesture of goodwill. The 33-year-old has reportedly been offered a contract worth €20 million (R288 million) a year, with many believing it would be tough to turn down. If the Barca legend would join Tianjin, he will team up with the likes of Axel Witsel and Alexandre Pato. Iniesta has played just three full games across all competitions this season, and he could soon permanently lose his spot on the left side of ...
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More firsts for Lionel Messi as Barcelona star batters Betis

We ran out of superlatives for Lionel Messi  a long time ago, but the little genius was at it again on Sunday as Barcelona  battered  Real Betis 5-0. Messi scored twice, assisted and at one point dribbled past so many Real Betis players that even the home fans started applauding. He also did a couple of things for the first time ever - like assist for the fifth La Liga game in a row. And score and assist in four consecutive La Liga games. And his dribbling was better than we’ve seen in La Liga for a few seasons now. He’s also the ONLY player to score more than 25 goals in each of the last 10 seasons. What an absolute legend.
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Sergi Roberto posts superb stat on his return to the Barcelona midfield

Sergi Roberto posts superb stat on his return to the Barcelona midfield role against Real Betis on Sunday. While Roberto has been a regular recently under Ernesto Valverde, it’s usually been at right-back, despite the summer arrival of Nelson Semedo. However, on Sunday Valverde opted to go with Semedo at right-back and Roberto in midfield, and wil have enjoyed what he saw from the duo. Here’s how Roberto made his case to remain in midfield in the first half. Will he stay there? It’s hard to say, Valverde’s line-up was heavily influenced by injuries, but there’s no doubting Roberto put in a superb display and might have given his boss food for thought.
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