Superstar LionelMessimust be fully fit in order for Barcelona to advance past BayernMunich in Tuesday'sUEFAChampions League opening semifinal fixture.
Before suffering a hamstring injury in the first leg of the quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain, he had scored the club's first goal, but his absence at halftime causedBarcato draw 2-2.
it looked as though the Catalans were in danger of not advancing to the last four withoutMessiin the starting XI for the second contest.
However, their most important player returned for the last match, helping set up the equalizing goal that allowedBarcato get through on the away goals rule despite the tied aggregate score at three apiece.
Messimissed his team's most recent two games in La Liga, but returned to trainingon Friday, which is wonderful news for the Barcelona faithful.
The striker is simply brilliant, andMessiis already one of the greatest world footballers ever at the ripe age of 25. It will take all the magic he can muster—hopefully while being somewhere near 100 percent health-wise—for the Catalans to topple their German opponents on the road.
Although Barcelona's roster has a ton of firepower, the amount of talent onBayernMunich is at least somewhat comparable. ManagerJuppHeynckeshas an incredible amount of flexibility because of his personnel, and has been pushing all the right buttons for the Bavarians.
Claudio Pizarro was dominant on Saturday for Bayern Munich, and shows that the Bundesliga titans won't be fazed by Toni Kroos' absence.
Claudio Villa/Getty Images
The reigningBundesligachampions showcased their dominance in smashingHannover6-1 in their Saturday's league match, per Goal.com's Tom Webber. Key to the success was the way Claudio Pizarro stepped up in lieu of injured star midfielderToniKroos, as he scored two goals and assisted in two more.
Mario Gomez proved he will be able to fill in at striker very well whenever MarioMandzukicexits the pitch against the Catalans, as he scored back-to-back goals at 40' and 62' on Saturday.
That commanding possession allowsBayernMunich to play outstanding defense. In the month of April, the Bavarians have given up just one goal, maintaining a clean sheet for four matches before a late, inconsequential goal byHannover's AndreHoffmann.
BayernMunich has an even bigger lead in its league (20 points) thanBarca, despite the Catalans holding a commanding advantage of their own in the La Liga table (h/t Fox Soccer).
Considering how stingy the Germans have been in allowing a minimal amount of goals recently, it is all the more vital thatMessiplays the majority of the match—especially with it being inBayernMunich'sAllianzArena.
The aforementioned bench appearance in the last Champions League match is an encouraging sign, butMessi's fitness is vital if Barcelona is meant to ultimately win a fourth trophy in this prominent tournament under his leadership.
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