Lionel Messi answered the age-old question of whether he could do it on a 'cold, wet and windy night' on Thursday evening.
Granted it was against Celta Vigo and not Tony Pulis' Stoke City side at the Britannia Stadium but the the six-time Ballon d'Or winner dispelled the absolute myth when he produced a brilliant performance in tough conditions in the 3-0 win.
The rain was pouring and the wind was so strong that it nearly blew the corner flags over but Messi continued to do what he does and ran the game as Barca made it two wins from two under Ronald Koeman in La Liga.
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Even more impressive, this was also their first win away at Celta in six years following some recent difficulty in Galicia.
Starboy Ansu Fati opened the scoring with his 11th goal for the Blaugrana but Barca's task was made harder when Clement Lenglet was sent off just before half-time.
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However, minutes into the second half and the visitors extended the lead after Messi forced an own goal from Lucas Olaza after a trademark mazy dribble.
And the Messi masterclass continued when he roasted opposition defenders for the third goal in the 95th minute. Sergi Roberto finished on the rebound but it was all about Barca's captaina and talisman, who made two Celta defenders look like statues.
For some reason, there's always been this weird notion pushed by some - namely Richard Keys - that Messi would struggle in the Premier League even though he has 26 goals and six assists in 34 games against English sides in the Champions League,
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The 33-year-old himself has gone on record to say he's more than familiar with tough footballing conditions.
As quoted by Sky Sports, he said: "Those that say that [I couldn't play in England] should realise I played in awful conditions in Rosario when I was 11 years old, with glass on the pitch, with holes and everything!"
When you're that good at football, it doesn't matter what the weather is. Whether it's wind, rain, snow or sunshine, Messi has no problem serving up magic.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, FC Barcelona, Football, Lionel Messi, Celta Vigo
