The term "as nimble as a rabbit" precisely captures Messi's movements on the field.
During the first half, Messi mostly seemed to be strolling around; his sprinting distances were far less than Suarez's, and his dribble attempts were fewer than Neymar's.
Yet, when the team needed him, Messi suddenly sprang into action like a ghost, positioning himself at the most threatening spot near the goal, swiftly beating two defenders and scoring!
Kompany, who was tricked by Messi and fell to the ground, looked utterly incredulous.
Slowly getting up, he bowed his head, repeatedly replaying the scene in his mind, unable to fathom:
"I've reminded myself countless times not to be fooled by his feints. I also know that dip of the shoulder is a fake move. But why am I still inexplicably drawn towards it? Could I be... cursed?"
Kompany's perplexity is shared by many defenders who have faced Messi before.
