Lionel Messi has said that the poor displays of his Barcelona teammates and fitness issues were the reason that the Blaugrana struggled against Sevilla in their 2-2 draw with the Spanish side on Saturday.
Diario Gol are reporting that the Argentina superstar has suggested that the poor performances of teammates Sergi Roberto and Ousmane Dembele, as well as fitness issues with both Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta were to blame for his side’s poor display.
Messi, who started the game on the bench and came on around the hour mark, only to end up scoring a last minute equaliser, helped preserve the Blaugrana’s now 37-game unbeaten streak in La Liga with a fine strike in the later stages of the game.
Barcelona are currently unbeaten in the league this term, and if you count the seven games at the end of last season, are currently on a run of 37 consecutive games without defeat, just one game off equaling the record set by Real Sociedad in the 1979/80 season.
One man who will have to take the majority of the credit for the club going on this incredible run is not Messi, but Ernesto Valverde.
Not many gave the former Athletic Bilbao boss a chance when he took over at the Nou Camp in the summer, however the Spaniard has proven all his doubters wrong just 10 months into his Blaugrana tenure.
If Barcelona can go the entire league season unbeaten, it should certainly see fans label this side as one of the greatest to have ever played at the Nou Camp, and for good reason.