This Is Why Lionel Messi Is Still The Best Player In The World

Amazing Messi tonight. Amazing. More on the ball. Dished off by Elias. It's Messi. Magic! Through the defence. Messi, but he can't get over. Instead he goes. Messi with the kaleidoscope eyes. Does it his way. Stupefyingly magnificent again. He's handed out chocolates to the defenders as he goes by. Fabulous ball. Could not be done. Messi from distance. Are you kidding me? Again Messi arrives. Astonishing like only Lionel Messi can. The ghost and the machine of football. The defenders are following him. Like they do on Twitter. And he comes out on Facebook. He makes the defence his dog bone. Take a look at this people and pick your jaws off the floor. When it comes to Messi. Look at the distance he's got. He draws the defenders into him like magnets. Iron filings to a magnet. And then releases this sumptuously. The way only Lionel Messi can. Chromosomes swimming around in him. That belong in a Bengal tiger. Messi. Messi! They're not taking that one away. Well it starts with Busquets. But this dispatch is as calculated as a NASA moon landing. And he takes everything into account. Including the moon's gravitational pull. Himself. Drops it for Messi who tiptoes through. And chips it home. A brilliant run from De Jong. And then just Messi being Messi. A brilliant run from De Jong is right. A wonderful quick silver attack here. He's already denied once. This time to the corner. And there is no denying. Top shelf stuff from Messi. The Mozart of our game. With his left foot strapped to various places. Swedish music man. Astonishing again. The touch of this free kick. Soft as a slug via belly. A heel flick that Munir wasn't ready for. And now through the middle. Dembélé with an angle. Out comes Bruno. In goes the goal. Magnificent. Wonderful Barcelona football. Alba out wide. Messi shows. Alba onside. And somehow Griezmann puts it in. It will go down as an own goal on Victor Ruiz. But Barcelona strikes and takes the lead. It will go down to the genius of Lionel Messi. More than anything else. And Pellegrini has seen it all too many times. It's Messi again. Finding the passing lane that only Lionel Messi can. This man can find the gaps in the centre of a rose. Take a look at this ball. First time. First time pass. Magisterial Lionel. Magnificent. It's all down to Leo. Defense Moreno. Kept in play. Messi on his left. He did it. Tied at one. Fabulous. Fabulous play by Ousmane Dembélé. First of all. And once it gets to Messi. He needs help. Like a shot. To the inside. The heel flick by Braithwaite. Badia gets a hand to this one. But Messi will not be stopped. The commentator's curse comes alive. And Barcelona fans are ecstatic about that. A player who hasn't been hitting the operatic high notes. He puts it all right here. It's Leo. Threaded through for Pedri. But he doesn't let it run. Instead passes to Messi. They're making it up. And it looks like a masterpiece. The stupefyingly magnificent again. It's all x-ray vision. Passes. It goes on here. 100 freeze-frame pictures in all of the cerebral cameras. And it's not just Leo this time. Braithwaite in for Messi. He's alone. And he's a goal scorer for Barcelona. A goal that will make Ebenezer Scrooge smile. This one from Leo. And finally. Dambricks. In the defense of Levante. A fall apart. A King Louis Temple. But it's a catapult from... Cashing in for a lot of money for Chelsea. Long. Comes off his line here. And just as we compliment him. Pedri. Sticks the dagger in to tie the score. This is a phenomenal goal. This is an astonishing goal. How the hell Messi sees this one? It's Frenkie de Jong that's making the run. But look at this. Ball over distance. This is over zip cords. From Lionel. And I thought it was traveling out. But he's measuring it down to a pixel. Messi just dancing around. Messi drives to the 18. Messi parks it in the back of the net. At Mules. And that is an original. Diego Maradona. Mules jersey. That's the one he wanted. And he won't have a big. Football shirt collection. But that one will be top of the heap. And he says, Diego. This one's for you. This could lead. Giesemann sneaks it in. And Messi pings it home. Wow. Astonishing again. Newton flies eye vision from Antoine Griezmann. But look at this goal. From Messi who is sharp as vinegar. Again with his strength. Oh. It's lovely work to find Messi. And Messi buries it. It's Stardust football from Barcelona. This is a goal that should be absolutely lauded. It's a glitter bomb of a goal. It's executed with extreme prettiness and prejudice by Leo. But it's stupendously magnificent football. Cutting, slicing through. And Barcelona at their best. Alba, Messi, dummies. Griezmann buries. Well, that's the magic. That's got to do him the world of good. Leaving him in. It's a tapping goal that even Griezmann can't miss this time. But it's beautiful build-up football again. Perhaps nicely. Back heel in. Messi onside. And another top shelf goal. Lionel Messi. What the hell is he going to do? So, Leo takes it on himself. And converts magnificently again. Wonderful thunderbolt from that left foot. Goal! From FC Barcelona. The last second, the last breath of the first half. Flanked by defenders but solves it well. Serginho, dust! And Breithwick turns it in for a 2-0 Barcelona lead. Wow, this is wonderful.