Ernesto Valverde praises Lionel Messi after Champions League win

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has praised Lionel Messi following the Argentine's man-of-the-match performance against Juventus.

The Barcelona number 10 scored a brace in the Catalan club's 3-0 win over the Serie A champions, as Messi finally managed to get on the scoresheet against the Old Lady in a competitive game.

Speaking to AS, Valverde said: "You always think when he gets the ball that only good things can happen for the team. I suffered a lot when I had to face him and now I'm enjoying him. He was heavily involved in everything."

Valverde also expressed how important it was for Barcelona to get off to a winning start in the Champions League.

The former Athletic Bilbao manager said: "We played against one of last season's finalists, we kept a clean sheet and we scored three goals. It was vital to get off to a winning start in the group stage."

Messi's two goals against Juventus brought his tally for this season up to eight, with seven of those coming in his last three appearances. The Argentina captain scored a hat-trick over the weekend against local rivals Espanyol.