Messi denies rift with Villa following bust-up

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has insisted he is on good terms with Barcelona teammate David Villa after the two players had a heated exchange of words during their 2-0 victory over Grenada on Saturday. “I have absolutely no problem with Guaje (Villa’s nickname), in fact it is quite the opposite. Do not look for problems where there are none,” Messi told Barca TV. Just before half-time in the Camp Nou clash, Messi blasted Villa for not passing the ball quickly enough, to which the former Valencia striker retorted in equally venemous fashion. “These are the kind of things that happen during a match and there was a lot of pressure on us to score the first goal and make the match easier,” continued Messi who leads the Liga scoring charts with six goals, but didn’t find the net against Grenada. Barcelona’s victory was their fifth in five matches in a perfect start to the season that already leaves them five points clear of second-placed Malaga and 11 ahead of arch rivals and defending champions Real Madrid.