FCBARCELONA.CAT

06.04.2010 23:56

Messi puts goals down to teamwork

Jordi Clos

In an interview with Barca TV, Leo Messi insisted that his four goals against Arsenal were “thanks to teamwork” and described semi-final opponents Inter Milan as “difficult and attractive”.

Barca TV interviewed the four-goal hero immediately after his demolition of Premier League giants Arsenal. “We started off struggling a little, we had some bad luck but we were able to react and the goals came thanks to teamwork. Today it was my turn, another day it’ll be Ibra and another Pedro… The main thing is to score. I was lucky enough to get the rebound and I hit it hard”.

A happy star

With performances like these, Messi is beginning to run out records to break. He’s the first Barca player to score four goals in one match in the European Cup. He told us. “I’m very happy. The same as the other day when I scored three. It’s always nice to score, especially in important matches”. However, despite the floods of praise surrounding him, Messi is keeping his feet firmly on the ground: “I have to keep on improving. I’m lucky enough to be with a group of players that care about me a lot and say nice things about me”.

Messi’s new position

Messi also revealed that he is settling in well to his new position in the centre of the Barca front line behind the striker: “In the middle I perhaps see more of the ball – I’m near the players who have it most and arrive from further back”. He’s obviously enjoying his football immensely and determined not to miss a second of the action: “I like `playing. I’m fit and happy and enjoying playing with the team”.

Real Madrid and Inter Milan

Now that Arsenal are out of the way, the players can now permit themselves to think about this weekend’s massive league clash with Real Madrid in the Bernabeu: “We have to enjoy getting through to the semi-finals and stay calm. Nearer the time we’ll think about Real Madrid”. This match and the Champions League semi against Inter are the main features of Barca’s immediate future: “Inter is a tough team. It’ll be completely different from what happened in the group stage. We know the players and how they play. It’ll be an attractive tie. We have two very important competitions in our grasp and we’ll fight to the end to win them”.