Former India cricketer and current U-19 and India A coach Rahul Dravid may be enjoying some off time from his first-choice sport but it’s clearly tough to keep the veteran star away from the sports field.
On Saturday, 6 April, Dravid along with his family, watched Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 at the Camp Nou.
“It’s incredible, it’s a huge honour, it’s one of the things I’ve always wanted to do, come to Camp Nou and watch a football game. To be here and experience the atmosphere, it’s absolutely electric. To be able to watch players like Messi and Suarez play live, it’s fantastic for me and my family,” said Dravid in a video posted on the football team’s social media channels.
With Messi scoring late in the second half, his 33 La Liga goals this season helped the Barcelona star remain the league’s highest-scorer. Suarez, who also scored on Saturday night, is second on the list with 20 goals. Dravid however singled out the Argentine playmaker for praise.
“He’s an absolute genius. It’s incredible to watch what he does and to watch him live… One thing to see with Messi is how fantastic he is with the ball but it is incredible to see how good he is without the ball and how he is able to find spaces. I don’t think there’s been a better player than him ever. It’s fantastic to watch him live,” Dravid said.
Barcelona Close in On Title
Barcelona increased its lead of the Spanish league to a commanding 11 points with both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scoring late goals.
"We know that that we have taken not one, but two steps (toward the title)," Suarez said.
Second-placed Atletico played one man down for more than an hour after Diego Costa earned a direct red card in the 28th minute, when the referee said the Spain striker insulted him with expletives for not calling an alleged foul.
Suarez finally beat goalkeeper Jan Oblak with a curling shot from outside the area that went in off the post in the 85th minute. Messi added a second goal a minute later.
Messi and Suarez have fueled Barcelona's quest to defend its league title all season long. Messi leads the competition with 33 goals, followed by Suarez with 20. Both also scored late goals on Tuesday to salvage a 4-4 draw at Villarreal.
Barcelona, which has also reached the final of the Copa del Rey, increased its chances of a domestic double with seven rounds remaining. Atletico needed a win to realistically keep alive its title chances in the league and salvage a disappointing season.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)