Man Marking? is this a new way?
Lionel Messi who has been struggling with his thigh throughout the pre-season, barely made it to the end of the first half and was substituted in the second. The Argentine was pretty much holding his thighs from the start of the game and noticing that, Atletico’s Diego Godin gestures to his team mate to punch Messi’s thigh. See the below video, in which Messi is seen feeling the effect of his injury during the Spanish Super Cup match against Atletico Madrid last night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH2pAnc80f8#t=46
It is now being reported that Messi might miss Sunday’s La Liga clash with Malaga. In a statement, the Camp Nou outfit said:
“The FCB Medical Services have announced that they will be monitoring the player’s progress this week before deciding whether he will be fit to play on Sunday.”
Manager Gerardo Martino had said after the Atletico match that Messi – who scored twice in Barcelona’s opening La Liga fixture of the season against Levante last week – was unable to move freely, leading to the decision being made to withdraw him.
“We have talked to Messi from the beginning,” he said. “The season is long, and this way he can rest if he does not play every minute in a couple of matches. We came to an agreement quickly. Agreeing on substitutions beforehand is a complicated matter. No one would ever take Messi out of a match if the teams are evenly matched. But it can be done in matches where we take a big lead. This way, he can preserve his fitness.”
Leaving all that aside, was Diego Godin’s action correct? What are your thoughts on that?