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Lionel Messi: Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino reveals what makes Barcelona star special
TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino has revealed what really sets Barcelona star Lionel Messi apart from everyone else.
Darren Fletcher praises Messi for 'masterclass' performance
Lionel Messi helped himself to a double to take his tally against English teams in the Champions League to 22.
The Argentine maestro was the architect behind Spurs’ downfall and he could have had a hat-trick but he was denied by the woodwork.
Pochettino was only able to watch as Messi sprinkled his stardust as Barca ran out 4-2 winners at Wembley.
But the Spurs manager thinks Messi is so special is because even when he’s mediocre by his high standards, he’s still exceptional.
He was unbelievable. When he's in that form he's magic to watch
“He‘s a fantastic player. The most important thing is why Lionel [Messi] in every game shows why he is Messi," Pochettino said.
"His average performance is this type of game, above everything else."
Trippier, meanwhile, was effusive in his praise for Messi.
He said: “These are the games you want to be involved in, that you dream of playing in.
“He was unbelievable. When he's in that form he's magic to watch.”
Pochettino, however, admitted that Barcelona was too tough a challenge for his side.
He said: “It was a tough game. When you concede in less than two minutes, it changes completely everything.
“The emotion becomes tough when you are playing against Barcelona and players like Messi and Suarez.
"That is why I want to congratulate the team, because we were always on the game, always fighting, never giving up. I feel so proud.
“I’m disappointed with the result but the effort was massive.
"But against a team like Barcelona, this type of game when you play at that level, to give that advantage to a team like Barcelona is so difficult to come back from.”