Messi's Recent Dip in Form Down to Muscle Claims Journalist
Barcelona have had to endure a disappointing run of games in which they lost the El Clasico to Real Madrid, lost to Real Sociedad in the very next weekend and were then knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Atletico Madrid following a 2-0 defeat in the second leg. One of the most importnat reasons behind this alarming run of results has been the poor form of their star attacker Lionel Messi and according to revelations made by influential Spanish journalist Guillem Blague on Sky Sports, a recurring muscle problem could be the reason why Messi has been struggling to stamp his authority in the recent games. Messi has not been able to find the back of the net for five games running and that is one of the worst runs that he has had as a player recently, considering the fact that he is the greatest goal scorer in the history of the Catalan club.
Messi, who is known for his silky runs through the heart of enemy territory when in top form has been mostly seen playing the role of a midfield play maker over the recent past and Balague says that the reason could be muscular pain. Balague made these revelations during a football show on Sky Sports. He stated, "He has not scored in five games, and Barcelona depend on a very good Messi. There's two ways to explain this. First, you look at him and he's dropping deeper, he's walking instead of running - although he normally does that - and he doesn't look as sharp.When he doesn't feel sharp he doesn't get in the box. As a midfielder, he's good but he's not that great. But you can also explain it in a different way. Minutes after the Atletico Madrid game finished a story came out that he has been struggling with muscle problems."
He went on to add, "Not an injury as such, but about three weeks ago he went to Venice to see a nutritionist and he was asking him, 'Why is it I don't feel well at the moment?' It could be the training and he's in pain certainly, and all those things have made him perform at a lesser level." Barcelona are still at the top of the La Liga.
