Messi to pit his skills against Barça’s Spanish contingent

The international friendly between Spain and Argentina sees Lionel Messi put to the test against seven of his Barcelona team-mates in what should be an open contest with plenty of attacking flair on offer.
The arrival of the World Champions to Argentina has caught the imagination ahead of the match at River Plate’s mythical Monumental Stadium and it will be the chance for a new look Argentina without the controversy which always surrounded coach Diego Maradona who stood down this summer after the WOrld Cup.
Messi though is already looking ahead to the new season in Spain.
“Barça has a squad with a very high level and this along with a very good coach means that we should continue winning. The history of the club and the fans demand that we win trophies. I am happy with the way things have gone during the preseason and everything is looking good right now,” he said.
“We cannot relax but this is not our style anyway as all the players are looking at new challenges and objectives. In football it is always dangerous to look back and although we are happy with what we have won we need to look ahead.”
Messi is delighted with the incorporation of Javier Mascherano from Liverpool.
“I have a good friendship with him and he will be an important reinforcement for the team although right now he has only just arrived and had one training session. I know he will be very comfortable at Barça,” he said. “It is a pity that Cesc couldn’t come. Anyone would like him in their team and it would be great to play with him again as we did in the youth team.”
Argentina’s new coach Batista has welcomed back Gabi Milito to the squad and it will be his first cap for several years after a long battle with injury.
“He deserves it for all the effort that he has put in and obviously for the quality he has,” said Messi, “We have a new coach with his own ideas and little by little we are getting used to what he is wanting from us. I do not think that his future depends on the results but the work of the team and so it is important to allow him to get on with it. At the moment we are thinking of the Copa America.
“There is no point looking back to what went wrong at the World Cup as we can’t change anything . Diego (Maradona) was important as he arrived as coach at a difficult time when things were not going well and I have a lot of respect for him.”