Ivan Rakitic 'proud' to feature alongside Messi at Barca

Andy West 04:06 25/11/2014
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Happy man: Ivan Rakitic proud to share a dressing room with Barcelona's best.

    Ivan Rakitic has hailed the unique talents of Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi as the Argentine seeks to break yet another goalscoring record in tonight’s Champions League trip to APOEL.

    – Nasri: 'We owe Sheikh Mansour UCL qualification'
    – GALLERY: Messi's goalscoring milestones

    Messi set a new La Liga record on Saturday by scoring a hat-trick against Sevilla, taking his career total to 253 league goals and surpassing previous top marksman Telmo Zarra, who registered 251 goals for Athletic Bilbao in the 1940s and 50s.

    And now Messi has the all-time Champions League record in his sights, with a brace in the last group game against Ajax bringing him level with Raul on 71 and one ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who will have to wait until tomorrow for his chance to take the
    lead when his team face Basel.

    Croatian midfielder Rakitic, who also got on the scoresheet in Saturday’s game against his former club Sevilla, spoke in awestruck tones about his Argentine colleague, saying: “I am proud to be on the same pitch as Messi.

    “There are no words left. He is pure football and I am very happy to be part of the history he is making. I hope he carries on this way and scores another 200 goals.”


    With Andres Iniesta currently out of action due to a calf injury,  Rakitic is developing a central midfield partnership with Xavi and he had similar words of lofty praise for the veteran club captain.

    “Xavi is the boss of all midfielders,” added Rakitic. “He has given so much to football and I am happy to share a dressing room with him.”

    Although outsiders would regard tonight’s fixture as a straightforward three points for Barca, the Cypriot champions made life extremely difficult for their illustrious opponents in the first meeting between the teams at the Nou Camp, losing by only a header
    from Gerard Pique.

    Coach Luis Enrique is certainly taking nothing for granted and expects another close encounter, saying: “It will be very similar to the home game – a tight battle with little space to play, and that always makes things difficult.”

    Although Barca have already qualified, nothing less than three points would do in their quest to overhaul Paris Saint-Germain –
    who host Ajax in Paris – at the top of the group, and Enrique admitted he is concerned about the prospect of only finishing second.

    He added: “We need to win the group because we want to play the second leg of the knockout round at home.”

    Recommended