Valverde talks Messi, Paulinho and Luis Suarez after Barcelona beat Eibar

Ernesto Valverde was full of praise for his side after they maintained their perfect start to the season with a 6-1 thrashing of Eibar at Camp Nou on Tuesday.

Lionel Messi was, once again, the star of the show hitting four goals with Paulinho and Denis Suarez also on target.

So what did Valverde made of it all? Here’s a look at what he said in his post-match press conference (quotes via ESPN).

Valvede on Messi

"I don't know what to say about Messi,” he said.

"He is one of the most intelligent players I've seen on a football pitch. He's extraordinary. Today we played in a different way, without Luis [Suarez], but Messi is the same wherever you put him.

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

"From a play where it looks like nothing's going to happen, he can create something good for us... and bad for the opposition.

"That he scores four goals isn't news anymore. He's done this time and again, on many nights and in many games. He repeats it, he repeats it and he repeats it. He loves football, he enjoys it and he never tires of winning.”

Valverde on Paulinho

“[Paulinho] adds something different, something we didn't have in the squad with the other players," Valverde said.

"He makes those runs into the area, he's [a threat] from set plays. At the beginning, he was a little lost, but he's been getting up to speed. Other players have more positional play; he's strength, breaking the lines, set plays. The goal[s] have helped him settle."

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

Valverde on Luis Suarez

"I think this break will do him well," he explained.

"He's fine, but we thought a rest would be good. We hope he can help us moving forward. Today we made some changes to give some players a rest and others minutes and it came off.”

Next up is a trip to Girona and once again it will be interesting to see who Valverde selects.

Paulinho and Denis Suarez both now have two goals in two games and are pushing to retain their places, while Luis Suarez could return having had a rest.

Who do you think should start against Girona? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!