Barca’s style has evolved, says Messi By AFP

Lionel Messi believes the current Barcelona side
has more weapons than Pep Guardiola’s 2009
world-beaters and wants to prove it by winning
a record third Club World Cup.
The Spanish giants, who have captured the
Champions League, Spain’s La Liga, the Copa del
Rey and European Super Cup this year, take on
China’s Guangzhou Evergrande Thursday for a
place in the tournament final in Yokohama on
December 20.
“It’s one of my favourite competitions,” said
Messi, favourite to win his fifth Ballon d’Or in
January. “It gives you the opportunity to round
off the year in the best possible way. These titles
are an indelible legacy in the history of the club.
It’s something very important.
“It’s been an amazing year,” the Argentina
wizard told fifa.com in the build-up to Barca’s
clash against Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Guangzhou.
“That time when we won everything under
Guardiola looked unrepeatable. We genuinely
weren’t sure if we’d get close to that again. (But)
here we are. Now what’s left for us to do is end
the year in the best possible way and make it
unforgettable.”
Barring an upset in Wednesday’s first semi-final
between Libertadores Cup holders River Plate
and Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Messi will come
face to face with the side which almost signed him
as a teenager in his native Argentina.
Remarkably, Messi has only once previously
played against an Argentine club, when
Barcelona beat Estudiantes 2-1 in the 2009 Club
World Cup final. Two years later, Barca smashed
four past Brazil’s Santos, which featured current
team-mate Neymar.
– Evolving style –
“I’ve witnessed (Neymar’s) enormous growth,
both as a footballer and as a person,” said Messi.
“Back then he was already a great player and
now he’s much more complete. It’s a pleasure
and a privilege to have him alongside us.”
Messi gave an insight into how the Spanish league
leaders have evolved under Luis Enrique, who
relies less on the “tiki-taka” style of short,
intricate passes than Guardiola.
“We’ve changed a little bit,” admitted Messi.
“We’ve become a more vertical (direct) team. Of
course, we’ve not lost our ideology of keeping
hold of the ball.
“That’s our trademark and our priority: to
control the play and keep possession. But now
we’ve incorporated the idea that, with just a
couple of touches, we can get in front of the
opposition’s goal. Before it was about getting
there using more elaborate build-up play.”
The addition of former Liverpool striker Luis
Suarez, with his ability to play off the shoulder of
the last defender, has undoubtedly given Barca
more thrust.
Messi, Neymar and Suarez have plundered a jaw-
dropping 127 goals for Barca in 2015 — more
than Spanish rivals Real Madrid — although
Neymar is a doubt in Japan with a groin strain.
Messi insisted that his game had changed too.
“As time passes you grow, both on and off the
pitch,” he said. “You go about adapting to
different circumstances. Although I’ve kept the
essence (of my play style), over the years I’ve
added qualities to my game.”