‘He turned Phil Jones inside out so many times here that his bandage loosened’: Gary Lineker leads the praise for Lionel Messi as Barcelona star embarrasses Man United man
Lionel Messi performed his magic once again during Barcelona’s Champions League clash with Manchester United on Tuesday night.
The Barcelona star scored twice in the first half to put the hosts in the driving seat of the quarter-final, but it wasn’t just his goals that dragged everyone out of their seats.
Gary Lineker, Owen Hargreaves and Rio Ferdinand were left stunned by a piece of trickery from the Argentine wizard against Phil Jones at the Nou Camp.
Lionel Messi stunned the Nou Camp with a remarkable piece of trickery against Phil Jones
After turning past him once, Messi then decided to tease the Manchester United man again
The Argentine, who scored twice in the first half, nutmegged the English defender
Messi picked the ball up just inside the United half before turning past the English defender with his pace and close control, but it wasn’t over. The 31-year-old then nutmegged Jones with ease, turning him inside out yet again before the hosts nearly added a third.
And Lineker led the Messi plaudits at half-time, joking on BT Sport: ‘He turned Phil Jones inside out so many times here that his bandage loosened.’
Former United midfielder Hargreaves was in awe of Messi’s performance as well, claiming he had put on a ‘masterclass’.
Gary Lineker, Owen Hargreaves and Rio Ferdinand were left in awe of Messi’s performance
Lineker said Jones’ ‘bandage loosened’ after Messi turned him inside out at the Nou Camp
Hargreaves added: ‘Everybody got off their seats. He dragged everybody out of their seats, honestly.
‘We said before the game it could be a Messi masterclass and it has been. He has been absolutely extraordinary.’
Fans on social media were quick to jump on the bandwagon, with one fan joking Messi sent Jones ‘back to Manchester’, while another user said the defender ‘should consider retirement after this’.
Philippe Coutinho scored a superb curling strike from outside the area to ensure Barcelona’s progression to the Champions League semi-finals, where they will face either Liverpool or Porto.
This fan joked on social media after the skill that ‘Messi sent Phil Jones back to Manchester’
Another fan was quick to jump on Messi’s bit of magic during the end of the opening period
Meanwhile, this social media user claimed that Jones should hang up his boots now
