Without any doubt, Lionel Messi is one of the greatest players to grace the sport. His 700th game for Barcelona is a testament to his brilliance. FC Barcelona needed Messi to be at his best today. A draw with Slavia Prague meant that Barcelona had to win this game to proceed to the next round although they still have a game to play.
However, Messi decided not to wait until the last game to ensure Barcelona’s progression into the next round. In the 29th minute, Messi set up Luis Suarez for Barcelona’s 1st goal of the match. In the 33rd minute, Suarez returned the favour and set up Messi, who made no mistake in his clinical finish.
Griezman made it 3-0 thanks to a sublime Messi assist. Unfortunately, Barcelona could not keep a clean sheet. Jadon Sancho hit an impressive shot and Marc-André ter Stegen could do nothing about it. At the final whistle, the scores were 3-1. It ended another wonderful night for the Argentine. Despite the injuries at the start of the season, the maestro has an impressive tally so far – 10 goals & 7 assists in 13 games.
The only dull moment of the match for Messi was his yellow card for simulation. Although one could argue that the referee was a little too harsh there. Otherwise, it was a glorious night for the Argentine. To celebrate his remarkable achievement, let us take a look at his career.
Messi’s Career
- No. of Appearances: 700
- Goals Scored: 613
- Goals Assisted: 237
- No. of Hat-tricks: 40
- Braces: 125
- 4 goals on 5 separate occasions
- La Liga Titles: 10
- Copa del Reys: 7
- Champions Leagues: 7
- Spanish Super Cups: 8
- Club World Cups: 3
- UEFA Super Cups: 3
Messi also set a new record in today’s game. He has now scored against 34 different teams in the Champions League. Also, he has 5 Ballon d’Or with a 6th one likely to come his way. This year’s Ballon d’Or Award will be decided on 2nd December.
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