Lionel Messi was dubbed the “God of Football” by Jose Mourinho after a shocking efficiency towards Liverpool.
The two had been rivals when Mourinho managed Real Madrid and Messi performed for Barcelona between 2010 and 2013. Mourinho, who has additionally managed Chelsea and Manchester United, could not cover his admiration for Messi after watching him lead Barcelona to a stunning 3-0 victory over Liverpool within the first leg of the Champions League semi-final in 2019,” reports The Mirror.
Despite Liverpool having more possession at Camp Nou, Messi’s brilliance shone through, with a spectacular free-kick from 35 yards being the highlight. The current AS Roma manager, while discussing Messi’s influence on the game with Russia Today, stated: “Liverpool was courageous within the strategy.
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“I don’t think in the past 20 years many teams in the Champions League beat Barcelona in ball possession in the Champions League. God of Football made it completely different. Of course (Barca) have a good team, phenomenal players, but that player is absolutely incredible.”
He additionally shared his ideas on why Liverpool did not handle to attain towards their opponents, regardless of having extra ball possession. Mourinho stated: “Liverpool deserve much more than the 3-0 defeat but in the last two corners of the game it could be 4-0 or 5-0.”
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(Image: Seb Daly – Sportsfile/UEFA by way of Getty Images)
“[That is] because the game was broken and then they couldn’t cope. The question is which Barcelona will we have when Messi decides to say goodbye.”
“Fabinho and even (Roberto) Firmino looks small (for the free-kick) but is not small. Firmino is the last one but this side, the goalkeeper gave one metre to the diagonal to cover that situation and it’s impossible to stop.”
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Mourinho, the previous Old Trafford head coach, additionally praised Luis Suarez, who scored in the course of the match. He added: “Luis Suarez’s movement (for the first goal) is phenomenal.”
This article was crafted with the assistance of an AI device, which hurries up Daily Star’s editorial analysis. An editor reviewed this content material earlier than it was printed. You can report any errors to starletters@dailystar.co.uk