Real Madrid winger Angel di Maria has said his Argentina side is lucky to have Leo Messi in their ranks and should to everything possible to make life easy for the Barcelona man.
Although rivals at club level, di Maria and Messi are part of a fearsome Argentina attacking line-up that also includes former Los Blancos player Gonzalo Higuain and Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero.
Argentina, who last won the World Cup in 1986, have won both their games so far in their group. They have been unconvincing in their performances though, and Leo Messi has had to dig them out of a hole in both – scoring a 91st minute goal to see off a dogged Iran and netting the winner against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Speaking to FIFA.com, di Maria said: “I think the people who played with Diego [Maradona] and the guys who run out with Leo today have been very fortunate.
“They got the best out of Maradona then, and we need to get the best out of Messi now. I think he’s in fantastic form and let’s hope it stays that way.
“What really matters is the support we give Leo. The idea is to make him feel as comfortable as possible. In the long run, that’s the most important thing for all of us.”
Yeah Saw the game yesterday you and Leo were the only ones doing work while your defence were the ones that gave the passes to goal to the other team. VERY disappointed in Sergio Aguero and Higuian.