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Barcelona star Gavi rubbishes “silly” Lionel Messi comparison

Gavi, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha starred as Barça followed up their Clásico thrashing of Real Madrid with another big win over Betis.

Estados Unidos
Gavi, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha starred as Barça followed up their Clásico thrashing of Real Madrid with another big win over Betis.
Alejandro GarcíaEFE

On Wednesday, Barcelona faced Real Betis in the round of 16 of the 2024/25 Copa del Rey, delivering another resounding victory much to the delight of their fans, especially after their recent thrashing of Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final. One of the standout players in the match was Gavi, who spoke to the media after the game.

Gavi: “Silly to compare Lamine Yamal and Messi”

The Spanish midfielder, who has returned to top form after a lengthy absence due to a significant knee injury, addressed questions about teammate Lamine Yamal and the comparisons to Lionel Messi. He also reflected on the current midfield trio he is a part of along with Pedri and Marc Casadó, with some drawing parallels to legendary figures from the past.

In comments to TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio, Gavi said, “Of course, Lamine can make his mark, but I think it’s silly to compare him to Messi because Messi is unique and there will never be anyone like him. Just like there will never be anyone like Iniesta, Busquets, and Xavi. Everyone is their own person and makes their own history.”

“For me, Lamine is the best today, and I hope he continues like this,” he added. Gavi, who scored the opening goal against Real Betis at Montjuïc, put Yamal in his own special category but acknowledged that he still sees the veteran Inter Miami star as the best player in the world: “Behind Leo Messi, Lamine is the best for me.”

Flick backs Gavi’s praise for Yamal

In his press conference, Hansi Flick backed Gavi’s recognition of Yamal: “Gavi is very emotional. But I agree with him. You can see it in big games; that’s where you see the great talents, and he shows it so many times. We have to take care of him; he’s very young.”

Barcelona secured their spot in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals after outstanding performances by Gavi, Yamal, Raphinha and Dani Olmo, among others. Now, they must focus on getting back to winning ways in LaLiga on Saturday (January 18), when they visit Getafe.

Original article written by Diego Mayel Ibarra, translated with the assistance of AI and edited by Roddy Cons.

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