Messi speaks up amid slump in new role as Barca captain

Barcelona: With his actions, and now words, Lionel Messi is embracing a new role as Barcelona captain.

Messi came off the bench to set up a late equalizer by fellow substitute Munir El Haddadi and salvage a point in a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Extremely reticent to talk to the Spanish media in the past, the club's all-time leading scorer faced the cameras afterward to explain why his team over the last week had secured only two out of a possible nine points in the Spanish league.

Messi acknowledged that Barcelona must improve in defense after it drew 2-2 to Girona and lost 2-1 at Leganes before its latest slip against Bilbao. "We are angry for this run of results," Messi said.

"We are aware that we have to be stronger in defense and not concede goals in every match. Last year it was very difficult to score against us, and now it doesn't take much."

Messi then pointed to Barcelona's upcoming Champions League trip to Wembley Stadium, where the defending Spanish champions play Harry Kane's Tottenham in a Group B game.

"Now we must think about Wednesday because we have a very hard match against a very complicated team," Messi said.

"We know we have a lot to improve, but we must stay calm." At age 31, Messi is in his 15th season with Barcelona's first team and has long been the player his teammates turn to for the decisive dribble, pass or goal. But this campaign he has the added responsibility of wearing the captain's armband that was handed down by Andres Iniesta after his departure to Japan.

Besides talking to the media, Messi was also the team's vocal defender on the field. Messi argued long enough with referee Jaime Latre after the final whistle of Saturday's match where he earned his first booking of the season. Messi set a record for the Champions League with his eighth career hat-trick in the competition two weeks ago when Barcelona routed PSV Eindhoven 4-0 in their European opener.