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Boateng compares football greats Lionel Messi to Steph Curry and Cristiano Ronaldo to LeBron James.
Lionel Messi's unorthodox pregame routine before Barcelona's crucial Champions League semifinal first leg against Liverpool in May 2019 has been eloquently described by Kevin-Prince Boateng.
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In front of 98,000 spectators at Camp Nou, Messi had a brilliant individual performance against Jurgen Klopp's team that went on to win the Champions League.
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Midway through the first half, former Liverpool player Luis Suarez scored the game's opening goal, but Messi was the star of the show.
Messi inspires Barcelona to victory against Liverpool
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The iconic Argentine forward extended Barcelona's advantage in the 75th minute with a close-range goal.
Messi then scored one of the most memorable free kicks of his brilliant career by putting an unstoppable shot past Alisson Becker from more than 30 yards away.
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There was no better way for Messi to record his 600th goal for Barça than with one of the most extraordinary free kicks ever taken.
Messi gave Ousmane Dembele a fantastic chance to give the hosts a 4-0 lead late in stoppage time, but the French winger mishit the ball straight into Alisson's palms, which would prove to be a turning point in the two-leg match.
Following a week, Liverpool pulled off one of the most incredible comebacks in Champions League history, defeating Messi's Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield with a brace from Divock Origi and one from Georginio Wijnaldum each, securing their spot in the final.
Boateng on Messi
During the second half of the 2018–19 season, Boateng was on loan from Sassuolo to Barcelona, and he will always remember Messi's unconventional preparations prior to his masterful first-leg performance at Camp Nou.
On Rio Ferdinand's YouTube channel FIVE, the retired midfielder, who also played for teams like Tottenham and AC Milan, made a statement about Messi.
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Boateng Compares Messi to Steph Curry and Ronaldo to LeBron James
In the interview, Boateng weighed in on the Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi greatest of all time debate.
Boateng compared Messi to NBA superstar Steph Curry and Ronaldo to another NBA legend LeBron James.
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He said, “Liverpool first leg, we won 3-0, when Messi scored this free-kick. Unbelievable. So we’re coming into the dressing room, he’s just sitting there with his phone. Whatever, gets a massage sitting down.
“Two minutes before we go out he just stands up, closes his boots, we go out. Warm-up, just long balls, control, dribbling a little bit, crossbar challenge… at the warm-up Champions League against Liverpool. He goes back inside. Coach makes the last adjustments talking, Messi’s on the phone…
“The coach was talking, saying ‘now you have to go left, you have to go right’. Messi was FaceTiming: ‘Yes, Si, Claro’.
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“Thirty seconds before we go out, he just comes down, puts his jacket on, goes out, boom. Go, go, go, go. Like this.”
Ferdinand said: “That’s nuts, man. This is the thing, it’s bad for young kids to hear this. This is the only guy ever to do this.”
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“That’s what the young players did in Barcelona, you know. They looked at him and they didn’t train, so they got injured. Malcom, Dembele, you know they always got injured.
"They didn’t train 100 percent. So then going to the game, it’s different. He’s the only one in the world who can do that.
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“I always compare LeBron James with [Cristiano] Ronaldo, and Steph Curry with Messi. These both their talent, LeBron James is hard work.
"Talent, of course, but hard work - like Ronaldo, hard work to be the best. Both these guys [Messi and Curry], they have just a gift.”
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When asked if Messi is as diligent as Ronaldo in terms of effort and preparation, Boateng added: “No. Never seen him in the gym. Comes in, gets a massage maybe and plays basketball.”
Messi now plays for Inter Miami in the United States of America (USA) while Ronaldo now features for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
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