Messi: ‘Problems on and off the pitch’ last year

Lionel-Messi

Barcelona's Lionel Messi will play against Atletico Madrid. (Fernando Bustamante/AP)

BARCELONA, Spain — Lionel Messi says both he and his Barcelona teammates have learned from mistakes that left them without a major title for the first time in six seasons last year.

Messi admitted Thursday that "last year wasn’t a good year for me. I had many problems on and off the pitch. And I want to reverse that situation."

Messi has scored 37 goals in 33 games this season, including 14 to fuel an 11-game winning streak since Barcelona lost at Real Sociedad early January.

The forward said "the change in the team’s attitude is very noticeable. We are in a very good dynamic now."

Barcelona is within one point of Spanish league leader Real Madrid and visits Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie next week.

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