The star man’s two goals put his side on the cusp of the Champions League final, much to the delight of his Barca team-mates
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Barcelona duo Arturo Vidal and Jordi Alba have hailed Lionel Messi after he helped the club put one foot in the Champions League final with two goals in a 3-0 win over Liverpool.
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.”
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.
He said: “As for Leo, it should be repeated at every interview, at every press conference. He is the best player in the world, no matter what people may say.
“I don’t know why anyone would deny it and that’s not something to care about, we know he’s the best and we have to enjoy him while he’s with us, as do Barcelona fans. And I’m pretty sure that non-Barcelona fans enjoy him as well.”
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.