Lionel Messi and Portuguese youngster Francisco Trincao both put in fantastic performances in the La Liga tie against Deportivo Alaves last night. Ronald Koeman’s Barcelona went on to beat Alaves by five goals to one in a comfortable home win.
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The Blaugranas secured all three points as they cannot afford to drop any more of them if they are to stay relevant in this year’s La Liga title race. Both Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid and top four contenders Sevilla got their respective wins on Saturday hence it was extremely important that the Catalans secured their win.
Lionel Messi has been under a different kind of pressure this season. Lots of claims have been made about his lack of open play goals and consistency. These claims are understandable as the Argentine has set world-class standards over the years. However, he looks to be back in absolute and total form as he secured a brace in last night’s emphatic win over Alaves.
This sends a massive threat to Paris Saint-Germain who play Barcelona this week in a crucial round of 16 tie. As it is, they will be without their main threats like Neymar Jr, Angel Di Maria, and Marco Verratti. Lionel Messi getting into form is the worst kind of news for Mauricio Pochettino as of now.
Portuguese youngster Trincao too has faced immense pressure this season. The youngster was expected to perform big but ever since his arrival at the Nou Camp he has failed to be consistent. However, in recent months the attacking midfielder has stepped up. He scored a fantastic 87th minute left foot winner against Real Betis last week to secure all three points. He was absolutely top-notch last night against Alaves too as he secured a brace and helped his team win 5-1.
Both Messi and Trincao look to be in total form as of now. They are understood to be massive threats and under the spotlight for the upcoming UEFA Champions League round of 16 fixture. Big things are expected of the duo as they have been linking up well recently.
Will Trincao and Messi score against PSG?