It may not be the world's most heated rivalry but, nevertheless, the sound of France supporters cheering a member of the Argentina opposition came as something of a shock. But who ultimately could blame them, they were after all witnessing another masterful performance by Lionel Messi, the most influential player on the pitch as Diego Maradona's men overran and ultimately beat Les Bleus at the Stade Velodrome in an international friendly earlier this month.
Messi returns to France tonight for the first time since that 2-0 win — he got Argentina's second — but this time in Barcelona colours as theCatalans face Lyon in the last 16 of the Champions League. Barcelona are favourites to win the tournament and with Messi in such dazzling form, that is perhaps not a surprise. But speaking yesterday, the 21-year-old was the first to admit that turning on the magic will not be so easy in what is this time a match of much importance.
"I don't know if I can play that well again [against Lyon]," said Messi ."That was an international, this is a Champions League match. It's totally different, but I'll try my best."
That last sentence could prove fatal for Lyon but the hosts can take some encouragement from Barcelona's recent stutters. Pep Guardiola's men drew with Real Betis before losing 2-1 at home to neighbours Espanyol on Saturday. Suddenly their seemingly impregnable lead at the top of La Liga appears vulnerable with in-form Real Madrid the leading contenders to take advantage.
However the focus tonight is on the Champions League, a tournament Barcelona last won in 2006 under the management of Frank Rijkaard. The team has modified since then with Ronaldinho and Deco having departed and the likes of Thierry Henry and the ever improving Sergio Busquets coming in. They are among the players who, with Guardiola now in charge, have revitalised the Catalan club and made them the team-to-beat in this season's competition. Barcelona finished top of Group C with four wins out of six, scoring 18 goals in the process.
"Barcelona have so many talented players, if we try to man-mark them all we'll be in trouble," cautioned the Lyon manager Claude Puel yesterday. "Instead we need to concentrate on our own game."
In that regard, Karim Benzema and Juninho will be important tonight. Puel rested both players for the weekend victory at AS Nancy primarily so they would be fit and available to play tonight. Sidney Govou remains out with injury, however.
Now in the Champions League knockout stages for a sixth consecutive year, the French champions will contain few jitters but, as Puel suggested, they are fully aware of the task ahead tonight. "It is only possible for us to win if we remain collectively strong," added the 47-year-old.
Barcelona are without former Lyon full-back Eric Abidal, who like Andres Iniesta is injured, but with Messi in the starting line-up and the defeat to Espanyol still fresh in their minds, they will be seeking nothing short of victory against Lyon. "I expect a reaction," declared Guardiola on the eve of the tie.
In today's other Champions League tie involving a Spanish club, Atlético Madrid face FC Porto at the Vicente Calderón. When the draw was made for the last 16 in December, Atlético were firm favourites to progress having finished second in Group D, two points behind Liverpool, and regularly wowing crowds back home with an attacking force containing the seemingly undetectable skills of Simao, Florent Sinama Pongolle, Diego Forlan and the man who this weekend gave Maradona a grandson, Sergio Aguero.
But the Spanish club have lost their way somewhat in 2009, losing six of their last 10 matches in all competitions and, as is often the way at Atlético, seeing a subsequent change in manager with former goalkeeper Abel Resino coming in for Javier Aguirre, the man who led the club back into the Champions League for the first time in 12 years.
"Little by little we're getting better," said Resino on the eve of what will be his fourth match in charge of Atlético. "We're trying to get back to where we were. To get through would be really satisfying but the most important thing is that the team continues improving and that the players catch on quickly to what I'm telling them."
In contrast to the hosts, Porto arrived in the Spanish capital yesterday on the back of an excellent run. They are unbeaten in 12 Liga matches and despite being without Freddy Guarín and Nelson Benítez due to ankle and groin injuries respectively, are now favourites to progress into the Champions League quarter-finals. This was something, however, their manager Jesualdo Ferreira was keen to play down yesterday.
"They [Atlético] had some difficult results lately, but just because we may be going through a better domestic run doesn't make us favourites," he said. "We can't compare the two teams from their national championships.We have to go into this in a positive frame of mind. The atmosphere will be difficult, but we'll use it as a motivational tool. Knowing this is the Champions League will bring the best out of the players."
