Atalanta: Samardzic draws comparison with Messi for brilliant Champions League display | OneFootball

Atalanta midfielder Lazar Samardzic was full of inspiration during his side’s 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in their second Champions League fixture of the season, as the number of dribblings completed and chances generated in a single match drew comparisons with Lionel Messi.

Samardzic played the full 90 minutes on Wednesday as a trequartista in Gian Piero Gasperini’s system, and despite not putting his name on the scoresheet, his creative and offensive contribution to his side was so evident that Opta could draw a parallel between his display and a performance delivered by the Argentina star a few years ago.

Samardzic’s Champions League display recalls Messi’s brilliance

As reported by Opta, during his 90 minutes against Shakhtar, Samardzic became the first player to complete at least eight dribblings and create at least six chances in a Champions League match since Lionel Messi against Inter in October 2019, when Barcelona emerged 2-0 winners against the Nerazzurri in a group stage’s game.

This was Samardzic’s first Champions League start for Atalanta, which came on the back of his first competitive goal with the Nerazzurri, as he came on in the second-half to score a late strike against Bologna and earn his side a 1-1 draw.