Jordi Alba has noted how his Inter Miami teammates elevate their performances when Lionel Messi is on the pitch.
The Argentine attacker played 30 minutes yesterday from the bench against Vissel Kobe as Inter Miami rounded off their worldwide tour with a penalty shootout loss to the reigning J-League champions.
With Messi missing out on on the previous friendly against Hong Kong XI, the return of the 36-year-old was a welcome sight for supporters, with the attacker looking good in his short cameo.
And speaking to FOX Deportes, Alba claimed that his Inter Miami teammates look more comfortable on the ball when Messi is on the pitch, with the forward’s aura raising performance levels.
Alba said about Inter Miami’s performance against Vissel Kobe: “The first half, they pushed harder, they had some chances to try and hurt us and I think the team, in the second half, was better.
“We had more control of the game. It’s clear that Leo’s entry gives the team a lot, and I think we played a great game in general. Above all, we competed.”
Inter Miami can’t always rely on Lionel Messi for a performance boost
Messi’s greatness and mastery makes it that the Argentine simply setting foot on the soccer pitch will always give his teammates a massive morale boost.
However, as we have seen during his short Inter Miami career, Messi won’t always be around for every match, with the Herons predicted to play as many as 50 games this season.
As a result, Inter Miami need to get over the psychological barrier of not always playing with Messi, with the Argentine simply physically unable to play every match this campaign.
Whilst there’s nothing wrong with performance levels increasing when Messi steps out onto the pitch, Inter Miami need to learn to elevate their levels when the Argentine is off it, something that could result in more positive outcomes.