Lionel Messi admitted Gerard Pique’s goal was not a training ground masterpiece as Barcelona beat PSV Eindhoven 2-1 on Wednesday to seal top spot in their Champions League group for a 12th consecutive season.
Messi opened the scoring at the Philips Stadion following a move he had started by the halfway line in the 61st minute, netting his sixth goal in the competition this season in just three appearances.
The Argentine forward then turned provider, setting up Pique 10 minutes later as the defender deflected home a free kick from inside the area.
Pique, half-joking, said after the game that the set play had been “rehearsed” and was the result of a lot of hard work on the training ground, but Messi was unable to keep the story up.
“It wasn’t rehearsed, that’s a lie,” Messi told Movistar. “It was a poorly taken free kick, but luckily Pique was there. He saw [the ball] and he took advantage of the situation.”
Despite winning the game, Barca spent large parts of the match on the back foot. PSV created over 20 chances, hitting the woodwork three times and drawing several good saves from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
However, the Dutch side, who were eliminated from Europe as a consequence of this result, were unable to take advantage of their opportunities. Luuk de Jong’s 83rd-minute header came too late. (ESPN)
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