Valverde pleased with Lionel Messi’s workout at Borussia Dortmund

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has said that Lionel Messi had done enough during the recent Champions League opener against Borussia Dortmund on the road. The Argentina international had started the season on the sidelines with a calf problem but he managed to make his comeback during the second half of the European meeting at Signal Iduna Park.

Messi could not make the difference to the scorelineas the game ended in a 0-0 draw but he was still peripheral to the proceedings during the closing stages of the encounter. Speaking after the match, Valverde appreciated the efforts of the Argentina international by stating that he had fared well without any prior preparation on the playing field.

He said:”He’s like any player who hasn’t had a pre-season. He’s had to play in a game at an incredible pace, which had already started, all without preparation. It’s his first 30 minutes. He’s done enough. It was also the first full game for Luis Suarez. In La Liga we were saying that opponents score against us. But tonight, he was very good. We have a great goalkeeper and we benefit from that.”

The Blaugrana had a disappointing end to the previous season as they suffered a shock Champions League semi-final defeat to Liverpool which was followed by the Copa del Rey final loss at the hands of Valencia. As a result, a section of the fans were frustrated despite the league triumph and it remains to be seen whether the Blaugrana can push for the treble this term.

The Catalan giants have made an average beginning to the season with just eight points from the opening four league games. They are currently two points behind table-toppers Sevilla, who have looked good value for the lead with just one goal conceded to date.