The match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid was Gao Zheng's first time facing Messi in La Liga, but it was not the first time he had played Messi.

Their first meeting dates back to last season's Champions League group stage, when Gao Zheng was still in Sampdoria and was drawn in a group with Barcelona.

At that time, many people were not optimistic about Sampdoria, thinking that being able to participate in the group stage was a victory.

As a result, such an unfavored team finally reached the round of 16 in one go.

In the group stage, Barcelona drew 2-2 at home.

That game was the first meeting between Gao Zheng and Messi.

Before that game, Messi had never heard of this person, but only learned from coach Martino that Sampdoria had a good player and asked the defenders to pay attention to him.

That's all.

But after that game, Messi remembered Gao Zheng.

Gao Zheng's performance in that match left a very deep impression on him.

Although Barcelona and Sampdoria were tied in that game, it felt as if Sampdoria had won the game, and the focus after the game was all about the equalizer.

Messi, who also scored goals in the game, was ignored, and this kind of thing rarely happens to Messi.

His limelight was robbed by Gao Zheng.

Messi still remembers the moment the Barcelona team left Genoa.

On the way to the airport, no one on the bus spoke, and even head coach Martino did not say anything to boost the team's morale.

The car was as quiet as a hospital morgue.

It wasn't until I got on the plane that the dead silence improved slightly.

Obviously, everyone is not very happy to be held to a draw by an unknown player like Sampdoria away from home.

Especially Gao Zheng's last goal. Pique didn't even scroll through social networks that night, and Mascherano kept his head down, but no one actually blamed them.

In front of that kind of goal, there is no point in defending.

You know, just before the game, many players still ignored Martino's reminder, thinking that the manager was exaggerating, that the Chinese was not as powerful as the manager said, he was just trying to make us concentrate in the game.

The representative figure is Alves.

As a result, after that game, Alves was also silent.

It's not the first time Messi has traveled with the team on the road, but it's rare to see the whole team remain silent after a loss.

It was at that time that he realized that his teammates had been psychologically shadowed by Gao Zheng.

Of course, I'm afraid no one will admit it, because that's a shame.

So before the start of this competition, Pique can still swear that he will definitely guard against Gao Zheng - otherwise what do you ask him to say? Admit that you can't face Gao Zheng?

In this game, everyone couldn't help but work Gao Zheng's defense, and basically didn't give him a few chances in the first half. Atletico Madrid's counter-attacks were mostly ineffective, and Gao Zheng couldn't even get the ball with the help of Pique's close defense and other players.

But Gao Zheng's sudden retreat caught Barcelona's defenders off guard, resulting in no way to form an encirclement of Gao Zheng and allowing him to find a breakthrough.

The rest of the matter is logical.

Since that game, Messi has thought that as long as Gao Zheng is given enough space and time, it will not be too difficult for him to score goals.

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After the break, players from both sides took to the pitch. When Gao Zheng walked out, he saw Messi, and he focused his eyes on Messi for about a second, and then naturally moved away.

And just as he looked away, Messi also cast a gaze at his back, and after a short gaze, Messi also looked away.

After last season's game, Barcelona gathered up their anger at home, beating Sampdoria 3-1 in the second leg, but it was still an imperfect victory for Messi, and there was no revenge at all. After all, Gao Zheng also scored a goal in the game......

If Atletico Madrid's hopes of winning the title can be completely destroyed in this game, it may be barely called a successful revenge.

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At the beginning of the second half, Barcelona launched a fierce attack on the goal of Atletico Madrid. Shortly after Neymar shot wide, Pique's header went over the crossbar and Pedro's shot from the left side of the box was denied by Oblak.

Although it didn't result in a goal, it still put the pressure on the Atletico Madrid players.

Even the Atletico Madrid fans in the stands could see that Barcelona's fighting spirit to win in the second half was more fierce than in the first half, and the fire was raging.

They were a little worried, wondering if their team would be able to withstand Barcelona's surging attack.

Although it is its own home field...... But didn't the Copa del Rey also lose at home and be eliminated by Barcelona?

Barcelona fans, who are behind, have their eyes on Messi, although Neymar, Pique and Pedro have all taken turns to attack the Atletico Madrid goal, but they still can't shake it. Atletico Madrid tightened their defence and placed heavy guards around the penalty area to break through their defence and then score goals not easily.

For Barcelona fans, the only thing they can trust and hope for at this time is Messi.

If you want to break the dense defense of Atletico Madrid, you can only rely on Messi!

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In the 65th minute of the game, when Messi picked up the ball at the edge of the Atletico Madrid penalty area, in front of him was Atletico Madrid's defensive lineup of as many as nine men.

It can be said that except for Gao Zheng and Griezmann, everyone else is in the penalty area.

And Gao Zheng and Griezmann are also in the free throw arc outside the penalty area at this time, just behind Messi, and are moving closer to Messi.

It would be no exaggeration to say that Messi is facing a wall.

And facing the wall, Messi passed the football to Pedro, who was in the box.

Pedro was facing away from the attack at this time, and when Messi's ball came over, he didn't turn around with the ball and shoot, but passed the ball back to Messi who was cutting forward!

Two people did a wall-banging fit!

Messi, who burst into the penalty area, received Pedro's pass, showed a sudden stop, and with a flick of the ball at his feet, he shook off Atletico Madrid's Alda Turan, who was scrambling.

Then facing five Atletico Madrid players who rushed up, he unexpectedly suddenly got up and shot at goal!

The shot was so small and sudden that none of the Atletico Madrid players around him reacted until they saw the ball flying towards the goal, and they realized it was a shot!

Goalkeeper Oblak was also shaken by Messi, and he didn't make a save until the ball flew past the bottom left corner of the goal......

Late!

The soccer ball flew into the goal with ease!