Getty Messi after scoring against Osasuna
Lionel Messi’s frustrations with Barcelona boiled over on Thursday after the team lost 2-1 to Osasuna at the Camp Nou and saw bitter rivals Real Madrid crowned champions.
The Argentina international scored Barcelona’s only goal of the game with a brilliant free-kick to make it 1-1 on 62 minutes, but his celebration showed exactly how he’s feeling right now:
Messi’s goal was his 23rd of the season in La Liga but will prove little consolation to the captain after his side slipped to their first home defeat of the season in their final game at the Camp Nou.
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Messi Blasts Barcelona After Defeat
Barcelona’s defeat and failure to win La Liga also drew criticism from Messi after the match. The 33-year-old faced the media after the game and made his disappointment at their performance clear, according to ESPN’s Sam Marsden.
“We’ve been an inconsistent, weak team that has been beaten in intensity and desire. It has been easy to score goals against us.
“We must be self-critical, starting with the players, but across the whole club. Madrid won all their games but we are Barcelona and we’re obliged to win every game. We have to look at ourselves, not the opposition, and the performances in recent games have left a lot to be desired.”
Messi can still finish the season as the top scorer in La Liga and pick up the Pichichi award for a record seventh time. The forward is two goals ahead of nearest challenger Karim Benzema ahead of Sunday’s final round of games.
Barcelona Told to Improve
The Barcelona captain also told his side they must improve quickly ahead of their Champions League last-16 tie against Napoli in August.
Barcelona are tied 1-1 after the first leg and play the return fixture at Camp Nou, but Messi knows a big improvement is needed.
“I have said before that if we continued playing as we were it would be difficult to win the Champions League and now it’s clear it wasn’t even enough to win La Liga,” he said.
“We have to change a lot because if we don’t, we will lose against Napoli as well. We need a little time to clear our heads and then to think about the Champions League, which starts from zero.”
The winners of the tie at the Camp Nou will progress to a final eight tournament in Lisbon to decide which team will be crowned European champions. Bayern Munich or Chelsea await Barcelona in the quarter-finals if they get past Napoli.
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