LIONEL Messi has been to Kazan twice before and on both occasions he failed to find the back of the net. It’s been almost eight years since those visits with Barcelona and a lot has changed since. He’s gone from being a world-class player to becoming an all-time great. With that, however, has come greater responsibility. In an Argentina side that relies heavily on him creating those trademark moments of magic — and his goals — Messi will have to break his Kazan duck on Saturday to give his national team a chance of going past France and into the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Messi played for the first time in the city that lies on the confluence of the Volga and Kazanska rivers in November 2009, in a Champions League group-stage match against Rubin Kazan which ended in a goalless draw. He returned a year later for another Champions League match against Rubin, coming on as a substitute for the last 30 minutes in a 1-1 draw. Both those matches, however, were played at the Central Stadium. This time, he will play at the state-of-the-art Kazan Arena, the new home of Rubin — a team against which Messi hasn’t scored in four matches – which was opened in 2013.

There’s another connection between Messi and Kazan. His nickname is Leo, one he shares with Kazan’s most famous inhabitant, the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy lived in Kazan for six years, studying in the Oriental Division of Kazan University’s Philosophical Department. Messi’s history in Kazan hasn’t been special but all of it wouldn’t count if he were to deliver a footballing masterclass on Saturday. It would be the talk of the halls of the Kazan University, where Tolstoy once used to dwell.

Messi’s World Cup in Russia, just like Argentina’s, hasn’t been spectacular so far. Just one goal — but a brilliant one for that matter — to show for in three matches but such is his stature that France coach Didier Deschamps was asked four questions about the Argentine talisman at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“Messi is Messi,” said the 1998 World Cup-winning captain. “You just look at his statistics and its very much straightforward. He makes the difference. We will try to mark and neutralize him but we know he can make difference with very little. There are several solutions to limit his impact. But he’s very unpredictable.”

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, speaking before Deschamps, was equally effusive in his praise of Messi.

“It’s perfectly normal to talk about Messi,” he said. “He’s a top player and there is a lot of expectation around him. Argentina have a lot to prove. They’ve qualified despite a difficult time. They will want to feel like going further. This will be a big match … a difficult one.”

France have a star of their own to call upon for inspiration — Antoine Griezmann. Like Messi, the French forward hasn’t really showed his class at this World Cup; his only goal coming from the penalty spot. But just like Messi, Griezmann needs just that one moment to really make the difference.

Lloris, however, said the stage was set up perfectly for Griezmann to deliver.

“I think it suits Griezmann,” he said. “It’s normal that there are a lot of expectations. He’s one of the top players around.”

Deschamps struck a similar tone. “It was a difficult start for Antoine but he’s been picking up momentum,” he said. “It’s true France need him and he’s doing everything possible to do his best.”

Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli didn’t mention Griezmann specifically during his press conference later on Friday, only mentioning about his link-up play with Olivier Giroud but he did speak about the French forward line.

“What’s worrisome about France is their skill level,” he said. “They have some outstanding players in their forward positions who can pass quickly and make transitions. They can go on the counter quickly and can score with three or four touches.”

France’s performances on their way to topping their group, though, were more workmanlike than impressive. But they are built on a solid defence that doesn’t give much and Argentina have showed they have difficulty in breaking through such teams. “It’s a team that above and beyond individual players, has collective strengths as well,” noted Sampaoli.

The Argentina coach, though, has the privilege of calling upon Messi, who he described as “the world’s best player”.

“Leo is completely committed to the team and you see it on the pitch,” he said. “He has such a clear vision in football that he allows us to see things which only a true genius can see. It’s difficult to be at his level. He’s a shining light for us all and we try to play as close to his level.”

The knockout round is a stage at which every touch, every pass and every move has to be a calculated one. It’s a stage where a mistake can result in a lot of regret and a flash of class can become an indelible memory. On Saturday, in the pick of the last-16 ties at this World Cup featuring an array of talented players, Kazan awaits that moment.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2018