‘The Messiah’ Playing a Game of His Own

Lionel Messi produced one of the most spectacular second-half performances I have seen in a long time as he scored a hat-trick in the 3-0 win against Valencia on Sunday.

Los Ches and their meticulous coach Unai Emery had got the tactics right in the first-half and went in 0-0 at half-time. They looked dangerous on the break, although there were still signs at the other end of the problems Messi would later cause.

The first goal was out of this world as he went past Ever Banega, eluded Bruno Salter and cut inside Ángel Dealbert before slotting the ball into the corner.

For his second, a superb first touch took him away from Pablo Hernandez before curling the ball nonchalantly into the far corner.

That was on 81 minutes and within a few seconds he had completed his treble as he ran on to a ball from Thierry Henry and prodded beyond Cesar Sanchez in the Valencia goal. 

There was a perception that the visitors had actually done little wrong, and the brilliance of one 22-year-old was the only thing to undo them.

It wasn't just his hat-trick that stole the show. Almost every time he received the ball, his control was immaculate and the way he faints to throw defenders off the scent is remarkable. Such balance. Messi has this uncanny ability to emerge from a crowd of bodies with ball intact - at times it appears as though the ball is merely an extension of his anatomy - so supreme is his close control.

Plenty of column inches have been dedicated to the brilliance of Lionel Messi, and perhaps there is an element of preaching to the converted here. But this display was deserving of recognition, even if most have heard it all before.

With his Argentinean teammate Gonzalo Higuain scoring a hat-trick of his own for Real Madrid in their match against Valladolid on the same evening, national team coach Diego Maradona must have been licking his lips at the prospect of these two playing in tandem at the World Cup.

Let's just hope that El Diego will have worked on a system that plays to Messi's strengths, as in qualifying he rarely produced anything like this kind of form, albeit surrounded by less gifted players than at club level.

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