Lionel Messi’s strike rate “is from another galaxy” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said on Friday, as the Argentine maestro bids to score his 500th career goal in this weekend’s El Clasico.
Messi’s penalty against Bolivia in the World Cup qualifier on Tuesday last week took him to 499 goals for club and country, and there could be few more fitting scenarios for Barca’s talisman to make it 500 than yesterday’s clash with Real Madrid at Camp Nou.
“The figure [499] is from another galaxy. If you add the goals of all our other players, including the ones I have scored, you don’t even get close to it, but I’ve seen Messi’s face and he and his teammates are desperate to win the game and give joy to our supporters,” Luis Enrique told reporters.
Photo: Reuters
Five-time World Player of the Year Messi has netted 449 goals for Barcelona and 50 for Argentina, six behind his country’s record scorer, Gabriel Batistuta. The 28-year-old is also the all-time top scorer in La Liga.
With Barca 10 points clear of third-placed Real Madrid and nine ahead of Atletico Madrid with eight games remaining, El Clasico is unlikely to affect the title race.
However, asked if that made it any less important for his team, who could become the first Spanish side to win successive trebles, Luis Enrique laughed off the suggestion.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “We are playing to win everything, we are league leaders and playing to take another big step towards the title, and we’re playing against one of the best teams in the world with one of the best squads in the word. It’s a very difficult game for us and we know that.”
It is also to be the first Barca game since the death of club great Johan Cruyff, who had a big impact as a player but more success as a coach, winning four league titles, the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and their first European Cup.
A minute’s silence was to be held before the game in memory of the visionary Dutchman and Barcelona’s players were to bear the message “Thanks Johan” on their shirts, although Luis Enrique said his players did not need any extra motivation.
“Barca have a competitive spirit, which is bombproof, and we know we’ll have to be motivated or else we’ll lose, but that should be easy against Real Madrid, our eternal rivals,” he said.
“What Cruyff would want the most is that we won the game deservedly by playing spectacular football,” he added.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to