19.12.2008 13:53
Messi: "It will not be easy"
Anna Segura
Lionel Messi believes that when FC Barcelona meet Olympique Lyonnais in the Champions League “it will not be easy as it is a knockout tie and there are no easy opponents at this stage”.
Speaking to the assembled media in the press room at Camp Nou on Friday afternoon, Messi reflected
on the Champions League draw that saw Barça paired with French champions Lyon. The Argentinian
forward wanted to express caution with many saying it was a good draw. “They are a difficult
team,” he explained. “People may think that we have drawn a team with a lesser name,
but it will not be easy. At this stage of the competition there are no easy teams.”
Familiar opponents
Last term Barça and Lyon met in the Champions League group stages and
Messi has good memories of the two matches as he scored in both. “We played twice against
them and saw first-hand just how good a team they are,” he commented.
Not just Benzema
While many in the media may focus on ways to stop Lyon’s star
forward Karim Benzema, Messi thinks that would be wrong. “We will look at their team as a
whole because they have some great players all over,” he stated.
Plenty of time
Before the next stage of the Champions League takes place in February, there are plenty of
league and Copa del Rey game first. “There is a long way to go before we play them,”
Messi said. “We want to meet them in good form, but first we have to think about Villarreal,
which will be a tough game.”
Tackling el clásico
Messi then spoke about the tackles that he received from Real
Madrid’s players and whether referees should be doing more to protect players from them.
“The referees have to be left to do the best that they can and we should not be putting more
pressure on them,” he explained.
Despite some of the challenges, Messi does not believe Madrid players were looking to injure
him. “No player goes out with the intention of hurting an opponent,” he continued
before stating that he did not complain as much as Fabio Cannavaro has made out this week: “I
know that is not so and I prove it in every game.”