The post-coronavirus Messi dosed energies, but when he accelerated he put in two assists and drew a great goal

Maximilian Uria

06/13/2020 - 19:59

• Clarín.com
• sports

The return of Lionel Andrés Messi was as or more expected than the return of football itself. After 98 days, La Pulga put on the Barcelona number 10 jersey again and jumped onto the playing field to face weak Mallorca. And the culé cast had no problems in beating their rival and reached him with just over a couple of appearances by the Rosario crack . It was 4-0 with a discreet performance for what Messi is used to, but even  so he gave two assists and scored the fourth in the final minute of the game. After all, an authentic Messi. 

Lionel Messi walks and walks. And that walk around the field, it is known, is strategic : Pep Guardiola and so many other coaches have already told it. You have to take care of the physique so that it does not break. This Tuesday Leo and company will have another weak team, like Leganés, in front. And this Friday, in the carrousel of the Spanish League, they will visit the most powerful Seville. Both games at 17 (Argentine time).

Messi patiently waits for the exact moment while on the grass he goes step by step imagining plays and situations to come. But the Argentine also walks to rest, not to demand his physique, to take care of his legs. There should not be a footballer in the world who knows both his body and Messi. Perhaps the knowledge began at the age of 11, when in the solitude of the room in his house in Rosario he himself applied the injections to supply the deficit in growth hormone.

The smile and new look of Lionel Messi after the Barcelona win on his visit to Mallorca, at the Son Moix stadium. (Photo: AFP / Jaime Reina) ,.

So, if in a normal season, Messi decides when to demand himself, it does not take a sage to understand that  Leo will take care of himself, as far as possible, of course, taking into account the string of games that are coming for Barcelona (10 for the local tournament in just over a month). And Arturo Vidal's goal after the minute, after Jordi Alba's cross, contributed a little more to Rosario's calm.

Messi alternated good and bad during the game against Mallorca. He started as a winger from the right, as in the old days, and missed several passes that usually does not fail (lack of timing yet?) , But also gave away some of his dreamy strokes . A pipe rating for Jordi Alba or a couple of long passes to the void for the deep arrival of Sergi Roberto. Only once did he kick the goal in the first half , after a cross behind by Frenchman Griezmann, but the captain's shot culé found the leg of an opponent who deflected the ball into the corner.

In the initial stage it was not activated as many times and its most important participation was a head rating for Martín Braithwaite's goal.

The lethal pair returned. After 5 months, the Uruguayan Luis Suárez reappeared and in the second half Messi shone more. (Photo: AP / Francisco Ubilla).

The best of Messi - who showed a new look, without a beard and a side hairstyle - came from the entrance of his friend Luis Suárez (he returned after 5 months) by Griezmann. More Messi began to participate, to accompany all the plays until the end, to try to connect with the forwards of the Catalan team. In the partial 3-0 the roles were reversed because Messi left Jordi Alba face to face with Manolo Reina and the left-back did not fail.

And when it seemed that the duel ended with that marker, Messi received inside the area with space and that is synonymous with a goal: he hitched for the right, he threatened once and defined up with his less skillful leg:  4-0 and end of the party.

He accumulates 20 goals and 14 assists Messi in the Spanish tournament: he leads the statistics in both areas. With the victory against Mallorca, Barcelona has 5 points ahead of Real Madrid, who will receive Eibar this Sunday. Messi and soccer returned to Spain, and everything seems to be in order.