True, he rarely looks the player he is for Barcelona in Argentina colours but stopping Messi will be easier said than done.

诚然，他穿着阿根廷球衣时很少像他在巴塞罗那时那么出色，但真要阻止梅西谈何容易。

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Some, such as Lionel Messi, of Barcelona and Argentina (pictured), joined their clubs as boys.

一些人，像巴萨和阿根廷队的梅西，在还是孩子时就已经加入俱乐部了。

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But the result is bound to bring more chin-stroking and head-scratching: Why does Messi's Barcelona steamroll the opposition while Messi's Argentina underachieves?

但是结果必然更加令人抓耳挠腮：为什么梅西的巴萨神挡杀神而阿根廷却是潜能发挥不良呢？

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The Argentina star has scored eight times in Barcelona's first five La Liga matches of 2013, including four against Osasuna in a 5-1 win on January 27.

CNN: Messi signs new Barcelona deal

Lionel Messi, who set a club scoring record this week, left Argentina's Newell's Old Boys at 13 to join Barcelona, while Andres Iniesta traveled some 320 miles from Albacete as a 12 year old.

WSJ: Youth Academies: Soccer's Nature vs. Nurture Debate

Safin, who won the title in Barcelona in 2000, will face the winner of the match between defending champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina and Spain's David Sanchez.

BBC: Agassi downs Labadze