What amuses me is the way that Messi has this godlike status, without being able to do anything against a properly organised defence, while someone like Totti is treated by many with suspicion as possibly being overrated because they've 'only done it in Italy'.
I'm also seeing articles starting to appear using Messi's inability to score against Italian sides to back up the belief that he's not as good as Maradona.
It's all about media perception anyway - Del Piero could also be thrown in the same category as Totti even if DP at least had his opportunity to shine on the international scene playing for Juve and all. But two players like DP and Totti never winning the Golden ball, while Messi getting 4 in a row is just plain ridiculous.
yeah, finally, but he plays Italian teams (aka "proper defenses") rarely enough for his pathetic record against those to be easily written off as "everyone has a bad game once in a while" by the brainwashed masses out there. Nevermind the poor fucker has 3 goals in 11 games vs Italian teams, all 3 vs Milan in last year's CL games between the two teams, all 3 from PKs, two of which invented.