Off the wire
• 1st LD-Writethru: China's draft cybersecurity law gets 3rd reading  • KMT leader arrives in Beijing for visit  • China-Mongolia ports promote border business  • 1st LD: China begins deliberating draft nuclear safety law  • S. Africa drops fraud charges against finance minister  • Update 3: Lebanese parliament in 2nd round of voting for president  • Urgent: Lebanese parliament in 2nd round of voting for president  • China mulls expanding Red Cross duties in organ donation  • Weather forecast for world cities -- Oct. 31  • Update 2: Lebanon parliament starts election expected to end 2.5-year presidential vacancy  
You are here: 　 Home

Messi: Pep will change City for the better

Xinhua, October 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

FC Barcelona striker Leo Messi scored a hat-trick a fortnight ago to ruin former Barca coach Pep Guardiola's return to the Camp Nou Stadium with Manchester City as Barca defeated the English side 4-0.

Now Tuesday sees Barca play the return leg in Manchester knowing a draw will all but book their place in the knockout round of the Champions League, while leaving City with a mountain to climb.

Barca travel without the injured defensive trio of Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Jeremy Mathieu (who is suspended anyhow for the game), and midfielder Andres Iniesta, who has a knee injury, however, Sergio Busquets should be fresh after being rested for the weekend 1-0 win over Granada.

Speaking in an interview with the English 'Sun' newspaper which was reprinted in Spanish daily, Diario AS, Messi compared Guardiola's Barca with that now coached by Luis Enrique.

"The system of Barcelona is something that everyone knows, few clubs have that, but each coach has different ideas and applies them as he sees fit," he said.

"With Luis (Enrique) maybe now we are a bit more aggressive when we attack at speed, whilst with Pep we used counterattacks less," he explained.

Messi also mentioned Manchester City striker and friend, Kun Aguero, comparing him to Barca teammate Luis Suarez. He said Aguero was "a very simple and easy going person, as is Luis... they are different but either of them can decide a game," he commented.

Finally, Messi said he was confident Guardiola would succeed in Manchester: "City are a great team. They have been a great team every time we have faced them but now with Pep they will grow more through his work," he concluded.

Tuesday also sees Atletico Madrid entertain Russian side Rostov, knowing a win will see them into the last 16 of the competition. Endit