Barcelona forward Lionel Messi said there was the possibility that he could have been a River Plate player when he was younger.
Advertisement
European champions Barcelona were greeted like rock stars on their arrival in Japan on Monday to contest the Club World Cup, looking bleary-eyed after a long flight from Spain. “It will be a huge challenge but one we relish”. But because he’s playing for Barcelona, it’s not such a problem for them.
Lucas Alario headed in the only goal in the second half but it was their goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero who was the real hero as he kept the Argentinian side in the game in the first half with a flurry of saves.
Meanwhile, Barcelona hadn’t felt Messi & Neymar’s absence in their game against Guangzhou Evergrande, with Suarez thriving in their absence.
“It’s business as usual”, said Luis Enrique. “They don’t know if they’ll be ready and neither do we, so we’ll have to see”. We will give everything to win the world title on Sunday.
Barcelona lead La Liga on goal difference from Atletico Madrid and have reached the last 16 of the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. “We are a good team”.
“It is hard to find three players of that level that complement each other so well, and that all offer something different”, he added. “As a professional player, it’s experiences like this that are precious”.
In the wake of their 2-0 play-off triumph over Auckland City, Sanfrecce made it two wins in a row at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka on Sunday after comfortably beating their Congolese opponents to advance to the semis of the competition in the process.
The former Premier League midfielder captained his team to the domestic and continental double again this year and believes that his colleagues can take great heart from their successes.
“Guangzhou have silenced a lot of people”.
“If you lose your focus you can lose the match”.
Messi is expected to start for Luis Enrique’s team against China’s Guangzhou Evergrande in Thursday’s semifinal.
“Chinese football is getting better day by day, especially when we get the chance to play worldwide matches”, said Scolari. “Now what’s left for us to do is end the year in the best possible way and make it unforgettable”.
Advertisement
“The only thing I am concerned with is that he recovers 100 percent”.
