“Even Better Than Lionel Messi” – After Kevin De Bruyne Buried Newcastle United, Frank Leboeuf Praises Manchester City Star’s Vision

Last night’s encounter between Manchester City and Newcastle Castle was a pure nail-biter. Thanks to Kevin De Bruyne, Pep Guardiola‘s side rose from the ashes to make a comeback and clinch an emphatic 2-3 victory at St. James’ Park. While Cityzens continue to celebrate the win, France legend Frank Leboeuf has shockingly asserted that the Belgian sensation is ‘definitely the best‘, even better than Lionel Messi, while lauding the 30-yard aerial match-winning assist by the Belgian.

In a recent episode of ESPN FC’s Extra Time, the host presented a netizen’s question of whether Kevin De Bruyne is the closest player to Messi in terms of vision, reading from the game, and passing from this current generation. Interestingly, Frank Leboeuf replied, “In terms of seeing the game, I would say that he’s [De Bruyne] even better than Messi. Messi was capable of doing something special, but in long ranges, I never saw Messi giving like 30-yard passes to somebody in the air.”

Leboeuf insisted that Messi’s pinpoint accuracy was rather shorter passes than De Bruyne’s. “It was more like feeling the thing in a 16 Yard Box and delivering something special, but De Bruyne is definitely the best for me,” he added. It seems that last night’s performance against Eddie Howe’s side has left a profound impact on the pundit. Notably, after Bernardo Silva’s cheeky back-heal finish put City ahead, Newcastle was suddenly on a goal-scoring spree, with Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon scoring twice within two minutes. 

As the second half began with the Magpies’ leading, Kevin De Bruyne came on in the 69th minute, replacing Silva. The 32-year-old made an instant impact minutes later, equalizing with a neat finish. In injury time, the Belgian used his eagle eye to deliver a perfect ball inside the box to Oscar Bobb, who clinched the winner. Notably, the veteran midfielder was also highly praised by Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola deemed Kevin De Bruyne a ‘legend’ after heroics at Newcastle

Pep Guardiola expressed immense joy after witnessing a remarkable performance. While insisting he wasn’t confident enough to give KDB the full 90 minutes after a 5-month exile, he said, “His tight impact from the last 30-35 minutes, you know for the goal for the assist and how many times arriving at the byline for the crosses, so isn’t a special player, he’s a legend.” 

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Yesterday’s match-winning contribution propelled Kevin De Bruyne to become the third-highest assist provider in the English Premier League, boasting a total of 103. Likewise, the win has brought Manchester City to second place. They are now two points behind Liverpool. Now that the sniper is back, Pep Guardiola and Co. are certainly back on track. 

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