BARCELONA, September 22-Barcelona boss Luis Enrique lauded the quality of strike duo Lionel Messi and Neymar after both were on target as the Catalans maintained their 100 percent start to the La Liga season with a 5-0 win at Levante.
Messi fired a first-half penalty off target, but teed up Neymar and Sandro Ramirez to take his tally of assists to six in just five games this season and finally got his goal as he rounded off the scoring 18 minutes from time.
“With Leo Messi we are talking about a unique, special player. His teammates know well that when he has the ball, he can not only beat players but assist them magnificently,” said Enrique.
“I love that the players find these conditions amongst themselves and take advantage of Leo’s quality in this case.
“Today he assisted in a number of goals in a spectacular way and also scored. I think it was a complete game from everyone.”
Neymar’s opener was reminiscent of his first goal in the 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao last weekend as his pace was too much for the Levante defence and the Brazilian’s run was expertly picked out by Messi’s ball over the top.
“He has the quality to receive the ball to feet and he has the quality to attack spaces,” added Enrique.
“Every striker has to look for that variety and I am not just speaking about Neymar, but I thought the movement of Sandro, Pedro (Rodriguez) and Leo was good. I could speak about the whole team and the offensive and defensive work they did.”
The only negative point of the evening for Barca came early in the second-half as Neymar suffered an ankle injury and was replaced by Sandro despite appearing to want to continue.
Enrique insisted he had been extra cautious as the 22-year-old has suffered a series of ankle problems in his time at Barca, including a sprain in his left ankle which ruled him out of the season opener against Elche last month.
And he is hopeful Neymar will be available for their midweek trip to Malaga on Wednesday.
“He suffered a sprained ankle recently and therefore we decided to take him off.
“The doctors will analyse it. It is normal when the player sprains his ankle he gets a fright and asks for the change.
“We hope it won’t be anything important but there was nothing strange in the substitution.”
Lucas
October 28, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Jinga na bure kabisa.
Mimi
October 28, 2011 at 2:54 pm
The problem we have is poverty and ignorance. These Islamists take advantage of these young boys, and by promising them that if they commit such crimes by blowing themselves up with explosives, that they will inherit 72 virgins! 72 Virgins!!! wow! it sounds quite enticing. But can I have atleast a handful right now, as a deposit, before I commit those crimes, then I can meet the rest in heaven? I will ask. Or better still, I will ask whomever is sending me ” Dont you want those 72 virgins yourself ?” Or better still, I will ask the sender, SHOW ME THE WAY by being the first one to do it so that I can learn, since I am on training. This is why I HATE ISLAM and their ignorant laws, the soo called sharia. You can give me BILLIONS even ZILLIONS, I will NEVER be a MUSLIM.
dee
October 28, 2011 at 4:36 pm
@ Mimi, kindly do a re-check of the meaning of ISLAM first before you start going personal and judging the whole RELIGION. Although you are entiteled to your own opinion but it makes you sound a total Ignorant with the little knowledge you have about Islam. Good evening.
Mimi
October 28, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Yeah wright! Islam and their medieval laws. Crab ! they make me sick ! come on wake up, we are in the 21st century. Let women drive, let them wear whatever they want, FREEDOM TO ALL. You are still stuck to those Hammurabi laws where death was a punishment to mischevious crimes ? Come on guys……
Kashama
October 29, 2011 at 6:42 am
You are very dim and ignorant about Islam – to hell with your modern world
salman
October 31, 2011 at 12:19 pm
who needs your stinking black arsehole islam is not for cowards like you.
Anonymous
October 28, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Very fast. Why not ask him abt his acomplice and who helped him to get the cache here. And plis apply the same speed to corruption cases
Mazzdark
October 28, 2011 at 12:34 pm
MOMBASA REVOLUTIONARY NONSENSE… you are next!!!
Ernestombayo
October 28, 2011 at 12:43 pm
If all the cases in Kenya were expedited with such speed.
mkenya
October 28, 2011 at 12:48 pm
Hoping the smile on his face is not a glee because he has other intentions like recruiting imates
Mandanny
October 28, 2011 at 1:13 pm
He will be released after 3yrs. Al shabab will bribe the government for his release. And nobody would know about it, by that time Kenyans would have forgotten about what he did.
dimwell
October 28, 2011 at 2:55 pm
I wish he burn in hell,how can he say he is happy?police should allow mob justice just for this case only,watuachie tuone if he will be smilling after kenyans work on him.
ray
October 28, 2011 at 4:16 pm
seriously??? somthingz a miss…just keep yours eyes open, it aint realll..
Kunavile
October 28, 2011 at 5:05 pm
something’s fishy here..seems stage managed ; the confession and judgement in record time?
Anonymous
October 28, 2011 at 6:39 pm
That smile has me wondering whether they are really going to send him to jail… something is just not right somewhere… The media need to give us real background information on just who this character is, we want to hear it from his parents, friends and associates – documentation even.
Mkuki
October 28, 2011 at 7:21 pm
send this fcker to the gallows! he’d better not drop the soap coz they waiting for fresh meat, by the time they done with him that smile will be long gone!
Anonymous
October 29, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Yeah Islam teaches them to do that….Quran sura (47:4) When you meet the unbelievers (jews and christians
), smite their necks until you
have crushed them, then bind your
captives firmly; thereafter (you are
entitled to) set them free, either by an
act of grace, or against ransom, until
the war ends. *8
That is for you to do. If Allah had so
willed, He would have Himself exacted
retribution from them. (But He did not
do so) that He may test some of you by
means of others. *9
As for those who are slain in the way of
Allah, He shall never let their works go
to waste.
Latonesha
October 31, 2011 at 7:17 am
This is all stage managed!