Messi gets warning before match with LA Galaxy

Messi and Riqui Puig both played for Barcelona before. After the Argentine moved to PSG in the summer of 2021, Riqui Puig also left the Catalan club a year later because he could not find a regular place in the first team.

Messi (middle)

Riqui Puig is currently the number 1 star at the club.

LA Galaxy

At LA Galaxy, Riqui Puig proved his ability by becoming a mainstay of the team. He played for 2 seasons, scoring 12 goals in 46 matches. The 24-year-old star is also a playmaker, asserting his role as the leader of the team based in Carson City, California.

Riqui Puig will face his former teammate Messi in the big clash between LA Galaxy and Inter Miami in the opening match of the 2024 MLS season. Before that, Inter Miami played early with a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake with goals from Robert Taylor and Diego Gomez. Both goals were assisted by Messi and Luis Suarez.

"Messi is clearly the best player of all time. I think he is also the best player in MLS right now. We just saw Messi show his outstanding talent in the match against Real Salt Lake. He is very excited, in good shape and in great form. We have to be very careful with the best player in the world like that," Riqui Puig explained, when answering the American press in the press conference before the match.

"However, football is a team sport. Inter Miami has excellent individuals, but that doesn't mean they will easily win the match. LA Galaxy will have a plan to deal with top players like Messi. I believe Messi and his teammates will face many challenges when facing us," Riqui Puig emphasized.

Striker Luis Suarez is integrating well into Inter Miami's playing style.

Last season, both LA Galaxy and Inter Miami failed to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs, so this time around, both teams will have to prove their worth in the 2024 season.

On Inter Miami's side, there is information that the "quartet" Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Alba will be affected physically due to having just played against Real Salt Lake a few days ago. However, Tata Martino affirmed: "They are fine. Of course, recovery is an important factor. In the 48 hours after the recent match, we only focused on the recovery of the players. So far, they are all fine. I will probably keep the same starting lineup as the opening match, when playing against LA Galaxy".

If they continue to win the away match against LA Galaxy, Messi and his Inter Miami teammates will have their best start to the MLS season in many years, thereby affirming their position as championship candidates as predicted from the beginning of the season.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/messi-nhan-canh-bao-truoc-tran-dau-voi-la-galaxy-185240225132057761.htm