Atlanta United eliminate Messi’s Inter Miami from MLS Cup playoffs
Atlanta United staged a stunning upset in Major Soccer League (MLS) Cup playoffs, eliminating Supporters' Shield winners Inter Miami CF with a 3-2 victory at Chase Stadium.
Heaping praises on Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi, club’s head coach Ernesto Valverde said that the Argentine is an obvious talent and approaches perfection every day.
“Leo is such an obvious talent. It’s difficult to find something else to say that has not been said. Every day, in all aspects of the game, he approaches perfection,” said Valverde to the Club’s official media.
Notably, it was the ninth time and sixth straight that Messi finished the year with at least 50 goals overall for club and country, 45 of them in 2019 for Barcelona and five for Argentina. Messi has reached the mark every year since 2010, with the exception of 2013 when he had 45. Messi’s highest mark was 91 goals in total in 2012.
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The Argentine bagged his world-record sixth Ballon d’Or in Paris early December. He surpassed the likes of Liverpool stars Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo to bag home the coveted award.
With this award, he has become the most successful player since the inception of the award, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five such awards to his name.
Talking about Barcelona, they end 2019 as the leaders of La Liga with 39 points from 18 matches. Valverde’s men maintain a two-point gap with second-toppers of the table Real Madrid.
In the last 10 years, Barca have topped the La Liga table at the end of the calendar year eight times and have ended up becoming champions on seven of those occasions.
Notably, a thrilling performance of 29 goals from Lionel Messi in the 26 matches played at Camp Nou in 2019 helped Barcelona remain unbeaten at home this year.
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