ARGENTINE MAESTRO LIONEL Messi found himself on the receiving end of some fairly shrill criticism following Barcelona’s defeat Champions League semi-final defeat to Chelsea last week.
“He hasn’t scored in three games; is he a spent force?”
“Teams know how to stifle him now. The false No9 is outdated.”
Well, this assist – from yesterday’s La Liga fixture with Rayo Vallecano – should help ease tensions a little.