‘Monstrous’ Messi to entre Barca’s 600 club

BARCELONA (Agencies): Lionel Messi will celebrate his 600th start for Barcelona in what his manager Ernesto Valverde hails as “a monstrous” achievement.

The five-time Ballon d Or winner becomes only the third player to reach the milestone for the Catalan club after ex-playmaker Xavi Hernandez (767 appearances) and the current captain Andres Iniesta (642).

In his 599 games since 2004 the 30-year-old Argentine legend has scored 523 goals all competitions to be the club s all time top scorer and the top scorer in La Liga with 360. “It s monstrous, 600 matches for the same club, with all the goals he s scored, and all those assists, with all his vivacity,” marvelled Valverde at the eve-of-match press conference on Friday.

“You run out of adjectives to describe Messi s journey. It shows his importance to this club. “To reach 600 games, that s an awful lot of games! It s extraordinary, like everything he does.

“It s not only that he s appearing for the 600th time, it s the way he s played in these 600 matches.” Against Sevilla at the Camp Nou, Messi has the opportunity to add to his Liga season-leading 12 goal haul which has lifted Barcelona to a four-point lead at the top of the table.

In contrast his fellow striker Luis Suarez has endured a fallow period this term with only three league goals. “Luis is a goalscorer, it s only a question of perseverence,” said Valerie.

“If there is one thing that sums him up it s this: he s obstinate, aggressive, committed in his work and we know that he s always got the chance to score goals…I don t think Luis Suarez is going to down tools.”