Lionel Messi's latest milestone a further testament to his world class

Xavi exhaled, apparently having exhausted all superlatives.
"What else can I say," the Barcelona veteran wondered when asked about Lionel Messi's latest display of brilliance at Ajax's Amsterdam Arena. "He's the best in history. There are no other words."
That's not quite true, however, when it comes to this particular feat. Much has been made of Messi finally equaling Raul's 71 Champions League goals with both goals in his side's 2-0 win away to Ajax, but not enough of the manner of it. There is plenty that should be said in praise of that.

It is not just about that quantity. It is about the speed. While Raul got 71 in 142 games, Messi managed it in just 90. That gives the Argentine a ratio of 0.79 compared to Raul's 0.5, and only puts him behind Gerd Muller (1 goal per game), Ferenc Puskas (0.88), Jose Altafini (0.86) and Alfredo Di Stefano (0.84) in that regard.

The fact that three of those players were at their peak in the 1950s, and Muller was utterly unique as long ago as the 1970s, indicates the historic dimensions of what Messi has done. Yet, as easy as it is to now consider No. 10's acts of genius as somewhat routine, it's also difficult not to wonder how complicated Barcelona would find things without him.
That might be an old question, but it carries an ever newer sheen.
Consider Messi's first goal, which took him up to 70 in the Champions League, and made it 1-0 here. It was a juncture moment.

Messi found himself alone in a crowd of Ajax defenders all night, but that didn't stop him from scoring a brace and tying Raul's Champions League all-time goals record.

Up until then, a seemingly patched-together Barcelona had been performing poorly, and it was as if Ajax realized they could bring all the recent pressure on Luis Enrique to a head.
Frank De Boer's side believed they could make it three successive defeats in all competitions for the Catalans, who themselves seemed to lack any conviction. There were gaps in Barca's team structure and so little movement between the lines -- other, of course, from Messi.
The only moments of productivity in the first 35 minutes were provided by their playmaker, particularly with two excellent through balls that seemed to suddenly open the pitch. The Ajax defence managed to close off Neymar, however, before goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen blocked out Jordi Alba.
Other than that kind of penetration, there wasn't all that much else.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TOP SCORERS

1. Lionel Messi - 71 (90 games) - Barcelona
1. Raul - 71 (142) - Real Madrid, Schalke 04
3. Cristiano Ronaldo - 70 (107) - Man Utd, Real Madrid
4. Ruud van Nistelrooy - 56 (73) - PSV, Man Utd, Real Madrid
5. Thierry Henry - 50 (112) - Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona

It brought to mind so many of the recent leaks from the Barca dressing room. One accusation has been that, because many players don't know exactly what plan Luis Enrique is trying to instill, their only recourse is to keep passing it to Messi. Rather than an out-ball, it has become integral.
The game's key moment then seemed to make that clear. Marc Bartra showed impressive tenacity to beat Cillessen to the ball, setting up Messi for a goal that didn't exactly look like it had been coming.
The Argentine brought Barca back up to an acceptable level by rising above the Ajax defence to head in. Thereafter, the team was transformed. They looked settled, like they didn't need a set approach hardwired into the team. Xavi offered words that summed that up too.
"We saw a good Barca tonight," the midfielder stated. "We won, that's always good, above all else for the feeling. We enjoyed the second half."

Barcelona striker Lionel Messi believes the three points earned in Amsterdam to be more important than tying Raul's goal-scoring record in UEFA Champions League.

You got the sense it had been a while since he and others on the team felt that. It certainly seemed a while since they were offering the interchanges they did in the second half, or the tighter passages of passing. The wonder is how long it can last.
While a moment like Messi's goal can temporarily calm nerves against a young team as callow as Ajax, it's going to take more in the long term.

It does feel as if there is something deeper going on here.
Take that opening 35 minutes, before Messi's strike "made the difference", as Xavi put it. Barca were so mundane. It remains remarkable that an attack featuring three of the best players in the world could have been so pedestrian. It also illustrates how, at this kind of level, just placing such players together is not enough.


The point here, though, is not about individual stardom or anything like that. It is about the sophistication in preparation required to maximise such talents.
The idea that magnificent footballers can just go out and play together is the great myth about the game. It stands to reason that, the more advanced your approach, the better they will be. This was what the club's peak era under Pep Guardiola emphatically proved.

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With the right kind of set-up, all of Messi, Neymar and Suarez can still see enough of the ball without getting in each other's way. Instead, they should be capable of interchanging gloriously.
Messi for one seemed to finally revel with two forwards ahead of him, offering so many beautiful little touches and passes. The problem was that those two were not quite on the same wavelength. They looked like isolated individuals rather than a true trio properly linked.
That is the kind of thing that can only come through the manager, through working to develop the necessary cohesion. He needs to develop that plan. Until then, they're going to remain all too reliant on Messi.
At the least, it doesn't look like he's going to stop at those 71 goals.

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