Ernesto Valverde recently joked he hoped to see Lionel Messi score 200 goals after Barcelona’s starboy clinched himself another milestone as he scored for the 100th time in European competition from a second-half free kick in a 3-1 win against Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“I hope he reaches 200 goals this season!” Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said when asked about another Messi landmark.
“His numbers validate what we see every day, he’s beating statistics that seemed impossible. He’s been doing it for a long time now, constantly breaking down barriers.”
Messi dazzled the crowd in the first half when he took a pill from his sock in the 10th minute, with Catalunya Radio reporting that the Argentine international was taking a glucose tablet.
“I don’t know if he took a glucose tablet,” said a bemused Valverde. “If it made him score a goal, then he should take a load of them… But I do know the players do take glucose.”
Barca are now on an 11-game unbeaten run, which includes 10 wins, and it was put to Valverde that the club’s supporters have already fallen in love with him in the 100 days since he took charge.
“I don’t know if the fans are enamoured with me just yet,” he responded. “It’s true the results are good. We are top of La Liga, top of our Champions League group… But tomorrow’s another day, Saturday’s another game. The dynamic can change, football’s fanciful like that.
“In August, after the Super Cup [defeat to Real Madrid], we were no good, now we are… So we are going to cross our fingers and keep working hard.
“We are happy today because it’s not easy to win in the Champions League. There are no easy games, as we are seeing with other teams.
“Olympiakos came to defend close to their area and to surprise us on the counter-attack. We then had the set back of the red card and we couldn’t keep so high up the pitch. When that happens, the rhythm changes.
“But we are satisfied because we were able to open up the game in the second half despite having a man less.”
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