Messi Playing Like A Midfielder – Suarez

Lionel Messi is becoming more and more like a midfielder all the time, according to his Barcelona teammate Denis Suarez.

Messi masterminded his side’s comeback against Sevilla on Sunday, scoring an equaliser just before half-time and then creating the winning goal for Luis Suarez after the break.

For large parts of the game he dropped deep to get on the ball, with one Spanish television commentator saying he was doing the work previously done by Xavi Hernandez as well as his own.

And Suarez, who re-joined the club this summer after spells with Sevilla and Villarreal, has noticed that Messi’s game is beginning to evolve as he heads toward 30.

“Up front there are three beasts [Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez] that resolve games, with Messi doing a little of everything,” the midfielder told Cadena Ser. “All the time he’s becoming more of a midfielder than an attacker!

“He is incredible. Every day he demonstrates that he’s the best. In training he does things that amaze you.

“His ambition surprised me. He always wants to win. If he’s losing [a training game] he gets the ball, goes past three and puts the ball in the goal and relaxes a little.

“I focused on him the first few days in the changing room, he’s very close [to his teammates] and thinks about everyone.”

Suarez himself impressed in the win over Sevilla. Filling in for the injured Andres Iniesta, he played his part in the equaliser and produced a performance which led to praise from coach Luis Enrique.

The 22-year-old also received a message from club captain Iniesta after the game and he hopes he can go on to emulate the Spain international at Camp Nou.

“At the end of the game against Sevilla [Iniesta] sent me a Whatsapp message to congratulate me,” Suarez said. “I was really excited. He told me that I had played really well and with a lot of personality. I replied saying that his message had made me really happy.

“My objective is to consolidate myself [in the team]. I want to earn my place and be here for many years. I’m fighting hard to start games.

“I know I’ve just got here and I have to be patient and try to take advantage of my chances. No one is gifted anything at Barca. You always want to play more, but I have teammates at the top level, like Iniesta, who’s the best in the world in my position. I hope one day I can reach his level.”