Lionel Messi may have almost single-handedly sent Chelsea crashing out of the Champions League – but the Barcelona star insists he is now a less selfish player than ever before.
After netting the equaliser in the last-16 first leg at Stamford Bridge, the 30-year-old scored two goals and set up another to help Ernesto Valverde’s side record a 4-1 aggregate victory.
Following his latest masterclass, Messi has now racked up 34 goals and 16 assists in another incredible season for the Catalan giants.
Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi insists he is now a less selfish player than he used to be
The Barca forward scored twice and created another as they beat Chelsea 3-0 on Wednesday
But the Argentina international, whose assist allowed Ousmane Dembele to pick up his first Barcelona goal on Wednesday, insists he is more of a team player now than in the past.
‘Before I got the ball and did my own game,’ he is quoted as saying by Marca.
‘Now I try to play for the team. That the ball goes via me more and I don’t try and finish things off as much.
‘Before I got the ball and did my own game… now I try to play for the team,’ Messi has claimed
‘Basically I am not as selfish. I try to build the play from a different position. I continue to run the same as before but in a different way.’
Against Chelsea on Wednesday, Messi opened the scoring on three minutes when he fired through the legs of Thibaut Courtois from tight angle.
And after unselfishly laying the ball on a plate for Dembele to double their lead, the 30-year-old scored a brilliant individual goal to seal the fate of Antonio Conte’s side.
