His team, Barcelona, was already in a 3-1 lead when he scored, and went on to win the game 6-1, so Messi’s penalty was probably not decisive in the victory, but it will definitely be remembered. But he ran towards the ball and gave a light touch to his right where Suarez was running towards the goal-post and he completed his hat-trick easily and grace as the goal-keeper has no chance with the trick, he was shown.
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MADRID (AP) – Lionel Messi attracted global attention with the trick penalty kick he pulled off with Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez in the latest round of the Spanish league.
Speaking to the media after the match, Barcelona manager Luis Enrique heaped enormous praise upon his players after their breathtaking display against Celta Vigo on Sunday.
“There will be those who like it and those who don’t”, he told reporters.
“Some will like it, some won’t, but as Barca players and members of the club, on top of winning titles we try to enjoy our football in a spectacular way”. It is legal and we all know Cruyff’ s famous penalty”, he said, admitting he wouldn’ t have tried what Messi did because “I would have tripped over the ball and fallen over. Also, it was Suarez’s third goal, giving him the coveted hat trick (three goals in one game) accomplishment vs. Celta.
“It totally lacked class… you have to respect your opponents and you have to respect the game and the history of the game”, he said on Game On on RTE 2FM.
Andres Iniesta has defended Barcelona’s penalty routine against Celta Vigo after they were accused of unsportsmanlike conduct.
“In this country a bad tackle is more acceptable than a piece of skill”.
“Maybe the play was for Neymar [rather than Suarez]”.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think anything special happened tonight”, he said.
It was unlikely the play would count as a missed penalty for Messi.
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Jamie Vardy had put Leicester, playing with 10 men for most of the second half after Danny Simpson was sent off, ahead with a first-half penalty before Theo Walcott equalised for Arsenal.
