Celtic will face Barcelona at Celtic Park in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Well-known Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague has suggested to The Daily Record that Celtic fans could inadvertently make Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi play to the best of his ability.
Celtic will take on Barcelona at home in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
Messi is reportedly a doubt for the Group C match at Celtic Park in Glasgow. According to The Daily Record, the Argentina international forward has a vomiting bug and could miss the game against the Bhoys.
Celtic fans are known to be very loud and passionate, especially during Champions League matches.
Spanish football journalist Balague, who works for Sky Sports, has suggested that the atmosphere at Celtic Park on Wednesday evening could inspire Messi to turn on the style.
“Generally, Barca fans make a noise against the referee and not their rivals,” Balague told The Daily Record.
“But at Parkhead, Messi and the rest feel like they are walking into 90 minutes of hell and then a minute after the game the whole stadium is clapping them. They love it and thrive on it.
“With Messi, in particular, give him hell and you will get the best from him. So be careful what you wish for.”
Messi is (arguably?) the best footballer in the world, and if he is fit for the match against Celtic, then it could be a massive problem for Brendan Rodgers’s side.
The 29-year-old forward has scored eight goals and created 16 chances in nine La Liga appearances for Barcelona so far this season, according to Squawka.com.
The Argentina international has scored seven goals and created seven chances in three Champions League games for Barca so far this campaign, according to Squawka.com.
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