Players say Barca's fighting spirit bodes well for future

By Mark Elkington

MADRID (Reuters) - The way Barcelona twice fought back from a goal down to win 3-2 at Celtic in the Champions League points the way forward for the team, said two-goal Lionel Messi.

The Argentina striker equalised in the first half and Thierry Henry levelled again in the second before Messi struck the winner with 11 minutes to go at Parkhead on Wednesday.

"Barcelona were always the better side even though the scores didn't reflect it," Messi told reporters.

"Today we played the way we should always play and not even the bad luck of conceding two goals could stop us."

Barca's fighting spirit has not always been so clear to see this season, with several limp performances giving arch-rivals Real Madrid the edge in the Primera Liga title race.

Although they have received widespread criticism in the media for their attitude, Barca have cut Real's lead to five points in recent weeks and have a King's Cup semi-final against Valencia next week.

"This result is important as it gives us a morale-boost for the upcoming commitments," Messi said.

"The next few games are crucial as they will decide whether the season is going to be a success or not."