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Barcelona and manager Ernesto Valverde began their 2018-19 UEFA Champions League campaign in style on Tuesday, dominating PSV Eindhoven at the Camp Nou in a 4-0 win to open the group stage. At the heart of this triumph was Lionel Messi’s hat-trick, and the overwhelming feeling that the Blaugrana captain is truly focused more than ever on European glory.
Last season’s league and cup double was another stellar achievement for the Catalans, but there was a sense of disappointment as well. Their defeat in the Champions League at the hands of AS Roma put a major dent in the club’s collective confidence, and the new chapter of Andrés Iniesta’s career away from Barcelona created an uneasy vision for the team’s leadership.
How the squad would respond after the departure of a legend ultimately had an influence on success, especially one who had controlled the midfield so effectively for many years. However, Messi was up to the task, and a rousing speech in front of the fans last month offered something different.
In an emotional and passionate plea, the Argentine star assured all supporters that Barcelona have the Champions League trophy directly in their sights. "Last season was really good as we did the double but we all felt bad about how it went in the Champions League. We promise that this season we will do all we can to bring that beautiful trophy back to the Camp Nou."
For some, this may have seemed like a routine gesture. Messi’s soft-spoken demeanour has not often allowed for these types of moments to come about, so skepticism would be an understandable take from this. But judging by his magnificent outing versus PSV, Barcelona’s new captain is displaying how motivation can bring about the best from both himself and his team-mates.
A perfect storm is coming together for the forward, and he may be more driven than ever before to reach the European summit. The internal damages left by Argentina’s failures at the FIFA World Cup and the images of Real Madrid’s consecutive Champions League victories are something that Messi will not soon forget, fresh in his mind as he embarks on the 2018-19 campaign.
Barcelona’s unblemished record in LaLiga has provided the introduction, a changed landscape for him in the Spanish first division, after Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus. Both domestically and on Europe’s grandest stage, Messi is poised for something extremely special during this term.
Lionel Messi has already proven to be one of the game’s all-time greats. When considering that aspect, adding in a new (and more) motivated mindset might just see him reach unthinkable heights.
