We can all appreciate Lionel Messi's brilliance. The 'Little Flea' has enraptured crowds throughout the course of his long and distinguished career and fans and team-mates alike are generally enthralled by his skill. The same goes for his opponents. But generally you wouldn't expect them to offer their hand to him after he knocks the ball into their net.
Still, that is what Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves did on Sunday after Messi struck a crucial penalty past him on the way to a 4-2 Barcelona victory at Camp Nou that leaves them in second place, two points behind Real Madrid, whereas Valencia languish in fourteenth.
Strange that Alves would congratulate Messi. Even stranger that he would do so with the scores at 1-0, the game nearing half-time and having just had a team-mate (Eliaquim Mangala) sent off for a foul on Luis Suarez in the Valencia area.
Diego Alves congratulating Messi for his goal, this is football!
https://t.co/3Nm49AYSvr— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) March 20, 2017
