| Barcelona tied Levante today and won their third La Liga title in a row. Messi again showed some of his magic but hit the post after a dribbling run.
I have no idea what the second Levante defender was trying to do in the video below. He gets sort of nutmegged by Messi and then falls down. But what always stands out with Messi when he’s dribbling is how he’s never afraid of losing the ball or appears to panic. Rather, he just keeps the soccer ball close to him, shields it, and spins away from pressure or out of the clutches of defenders with a sudden burst of speed when he sees open space. Messi is a master of a lot of things change of pace being near the top. I think it’s a good lesson for young players, keep the ball close and don’t panic when defenders close in on you. In some ways, Messi almost invites the defenders in, saying, ‘try to take the ball, if you do I will go by you.’ Come closer. Come closer. And then he’s away before the defenders can regain their balance. |