Messi stays cold in Valdebebas

Messi changed his shirt wet from the rain.JUANJO MARTÍN / EFE

It was his first classic in Valdebebas and it is not known if it will be the last in total for Leo Messi, the epicenter of Barcelona since he put on his boots at the Camp Nou when he was still beardless.

"To beat Madrid, we need the best Barça, but also the best Messi," Koeman stressed in the preview of the match;

"I hope it is decisive."

But on the 10th, again anonymous in a game of great significance, it was not and, on a record night, he stayed in a classic to forget.

There is no better stadium for Messi than the Bernabéu, as he has scored 15 goals for the 11 he has scored at the Camp Nou against Madrid.

The same happens with the assists, since he accumulates eight in the Madrid fiefdom for five in the azulgrana.

But Valdebebas is and was another story.

Perhaps because he no longer had a good memory of the facilities, since three years ago he worked in the Madrid sports city to prepare for Argentina's friendly against the Spanish team, later beaten 6-1 at Wanda.

It did not go well this time against Madrid.

And that was not a minor game in the tournament, both pursuers of an Atlético that was giving up.

Nor was it another duel for Messi, who caught Sergio Ramos as the footballer with the most classics on his back (45).

The Argentine did not start too well, not very participative in the game, no matter how much when he touched the ball it gave him meaning.

Like that deep pass to Alba that Dembélé almost didn't complete;

like that other center that Dembélé himself did not finish by the hair.

But in one of those cons, Leo threw himself to the ground before the clean entry of Lucas Vázquez and, to his misfortune, the next play that Madrid put together ended with a heel from Benzema to the nets.

Although Leo initially protested the fault that it was not, then he began to rub his head, worried about the course of the meeting.

Almost Olympic goal

Leo didn't get away with it, tied up by Militão and Nacho, well shielded by Casemiro's specific help.

Nor did he get any proper balls, perhaps the ones Pedri made with his pipes to break lines.

Although that was not enough, to the point that he was barely able to shoot on goal in the first half, perhaps that shot from outside the area that Militão deflected with his legs and a last one against Courtois.

Although, genius as he is, an Olympic corner was invented that almost did not catch the door, only spitting the ball through the far post.

Nor did he impose his law in the second act, with a loose shot after a center by Pedri that Nacho finally cleared.

Although, proud as he is, he did manage to find Alba so that she could put a center and Mingueza finished him off with the remanguillé, with the shin guard, on goal.

But Leo's icing was missing, his goal.

He did not get it with that shot from outside the area that went high, after a run and assistance from Dembélé.

Nor did he succeed with two free-kicks, both to the barrier as if the rain weighed too much.

What did weigh him down, however, were the shirts - the inner blue and the Barça one - and he changed them with 10 minutes to go.

He needed to feel light.

But not even with those because he threw a third foul and Courtois stopped it.

There was no way that it was signified in the rival area and the lack of a goal is already a worrying trend for the Argentine in the classics;

add seven, his worst mark, without seeing the door.

Precisely since Ronaldo left for Juve.

Thus, his last autograph came in May 2018, in a 2-2 match at the Camp Nou in which nothing was at stake with champion Barça.

What does not tarnish, however, his history because he has celebrated 26 goals against Madrid when second place is shared by Ronaldo and Di Stéfano (18).

The last goal did not arrive in his possible last classic and Leo leaves the service record against Madrid with 19 wins, 11 draws and 15 losses.

In Valdebebas he was cold.

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