Angel di Maria has backed his international teammate Leo Messi and said the Barcelona star will come good again.
The former Ballon d’Or winner has come in for fierce criticism by media and fans alike of late for his lack of form, particularly in the Champions League quarter-final against Atletico de Madrid, and a below par performance in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday.
But speaking to Radio America,di Maria, who scored the opening goal in Real’s 2-1 win at the Mestalla, said his Argentina teammate would return to top form soon.
“He’s very well, very calm. I don’t think he’s having a rough time of it in terms of his football. It’s just that opposition marks his so closely. The problem is that Messi is always in the thick of it, but things aren’t going very well for Barcelona right now,” he stated.
The 26-year-old also said he believes talk of Barcelona being at an end of an era and not being the force they were is over the top and the Catalan side are still one of the top sides in the world.
“I don’t think Barcelona are burnt out; what’s happened is that teams have figured them out and they’re finding it harder to win,” he said.
