Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal hailed “spectacular” two-goal hero Lionel Messi after he helped the club put one foot in the Champions League final with a 3-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their semi-final clash.
Messi was once again the star of the show, turning in a second-half brace for the Catalans, including a stellar free-kick for Barcelona’s third, as the Spanish giants overcame a second-half push from the Premier League side.
Messi’s second of the night was his 600th in club football and Vidal heaped praise on the Argentine post-game, saying: “Messi is spectacular – it’s amazing what he does on the pitch.
“Today was the most important game of the year and I tried to enjoy it as much as possible.”
Barca are on track to complete the treble, having already won La Liga and with the Spanish giants also set to face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final.
Vidal arrived from Bayern Munich at the start of the season and the Chile international is still searching for a Champions League title, having been a runner-up with Juventus at the hands of Barca in 2014-15.
The 31-year-old was a surprise starter against Liverpool midweek and says winning the European crown would be a dream come true.
“I would give anything to win the Champions League,” he said.
“I always think I’m going to play at home and today I tried to take advantage of it.”
The first of 600
Leo’s 1st official goal came 14 years ago today #Messi600 pic.twitter.com/PYPt74qxeU— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 1, 2019
Vidal was not alone in his praise of Messi, with defender Jordi Alba making it clear that Barcelona must take advantage of having the best in the world in their side.
“With Messi, we understand each other very well. We’ve been playing together for seven years and it shows,” he said, via Mundo Deportivo .
“He is the one that has more effectiveness and the best in the world by far.
“I and the rest of us have to take advantage of it.”
To take advantage Barca must finish out the semi-final with a trip to Anfield next week, with a matchup against either Ajax or Tottenham to await them in June’s final.
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