Twenty minutes were enough for Lionel Messi to give back hope to both Barcelona and Argentina, and both are already expecting the return of the star striker at his very best.
Messi came on in the 64th minute of Barca's King's Cup match against Getafe late Wednesday. Barcelona were already 2-0 up by then. It seemed to be ideal timing, and the barely 40 000 fans on the stands at the Camp Nou welcomed him with a loud ovation.
That was the start of Messi's latest dream night. The Argentine took some time to get back on track. He lost the ball a couple of times and wasted two free kicks to remind everyone that he was just returning from a 59-day hamstring injury break.
However, he then left plenty of room for the highest expectations. Messi scored his first goal a minute from time, after getting hold of the ball in a no man's land inside the box.
But the one he scored in injury time was even better: he started a long run with the ball and ended it with a brilliant shot that filled spectators with admiration.
First, in Barcelona. "Triumphant return," the daily Sport wrote, while Mundo Deportivo said "The number 1 is back."
The performance crossed the Atlantic, and Messi's native Argentina also celebrated the re-birth of the player they hope will lead the national team to the title to the World Cup title later this year.
The Argentine sports daily Ole changed it own name for a day to read "Leo". "On World Cup year, we Argentines can sleep at peace," Ole said.
The first thing that Messi achieved over those magical 20 minutes was to bring the talk back to football.
Over the past two months, a lot had been said and written about his alleged lack of attention to his own fitness, his alleged move away from those who had previously helped him keep fit at Barcelona in recent years, his decision to do recovery work in Argentina, his tax problems, his public clash with a Barca official, etc.
Now both Messi and Barcelona are focusing again on his skills as a footballer, and coach Gerardo Martino's ability to predict the future has been highlighted.
"I see Messi with a killer glance," he said of the star earlier this week.
But Wednesday was only a first step, 20 minutes, and Messi needs to work to get back into a competitive rhythm of play. Getafe were a good team for him to regain self-confidence, since they are a minor player in La Liga and actually fielded reserve players at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona's next challenge is no less than a Liga table-topper with Atletico Madrid, named "one of the best teams in the world" by Barca defender Carles Puyol and tied on points with the champions.
The main question is whether Messi will be in the starting line-up. The decision is Martino's to make, but whatever he does it will generate debate. Should he look after a player who is just out of muscular injury, or should he ride the wave of enthusiasm triggered by Messi's latest football show?
The question will remain open for days, as Messi himself warned. "'Tata' (Martino), the medical team and I will talk to see what we decide for the next game," he said.
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