Spanish press lauds Messi ahead of 'El Clasico'

Lionel Messi’s awe-inspiring performance against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg had the Spanish press licking its chops ahead of Sunday’s‘Clasico’ with Real Madrid. Earlier in the week, the press harped on Real’s poor form heading into the top-of-the-table clash, but the focus sharply turned to Messi on Thursday afterhis five-star performance buried City. Meanwhile, due to the latter’s impressive form, bookmakers are heavily favoring Messi to score the game’s first goal instead of“struggling” Real star Cristiano Ronaldo.