I thought it was also Messi's 500th game as well , but maybe not , the Sky bloke may have said 500th goal for Messi .
Messi performance throughout this season proof how pointless the balon d'or thing. If he keeps performing at this level , I coudnt careless who's winning the balon.
CR might be pissed off that Messi already equal his CL goal record again. Took him less than a season.
http://www.abola.pt/nnh/ver.aspx?id=659789 A- A A + By scoring a penalty against Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona's striker Lionel Messi equalized the 11-goal Champions League record of the Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) line of eleven meters. It was also the 37th goal of the Argentinean in the phases to eliminate of the Champions, being only surpassed by the Portuguese international that has a total of 44.
Just didn't have much space to operate. PSG shut him down well. Could have done better with that 1 chance he hooked the shot.
Yes, he was poor by his standards. But he was surrounded by 3-4 PSG players every time he touched the ball, because he was at the tip of the diamond where it was most congested. Secondly, the ball he played from midfield to Suarez for the penalty was splendid. Even in his off-days he makes at least 1-2 game-changing plays. Yeah, lol. The reaction is amazing, because the big games are not the only ones against big teams. Barca would be mid-table in the league if it weren't for Messi. The games against Sevilla, last minute freekick against Villareal, the winner against Atletico, the 2 goals against Leganes, etc.....just some of the games he has had to drag Barca along.
Actually Messi played very well against PSG. PSG's sole tactic was to stop and crowd Messi, yet he still created a goal. This also allowed players like Neymar and Rafinha the space and time to work with. I would say Neymar produced the most quality, but Messi actually was the most important player of the tie, and luckily unlike in NT Barca actually has personel to take advantage of marking Messi away of the game.
Unai Emery has never beat Messi, not with Almeria, Valencia, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla in 20 games, nor now with PSG in CL R16 tie. #boogieman
Lionel Messi has scored 40 goals for the 8th consecutive season : 09/10 47 10/11 53 11/12 73 12/13 60 13/14 41 14/15 58 15/16 41 16/17 40 *08/09 38 goals
Am I correct in thinking that Leo had FIVE World player awards and Christina has FOUR !?! If so , presumably Leo will up his game this season to claim his SIXTH one and go two clear rather than risk Christina winning again and drawing equal which would be a travesty . On a lighter note .... John Stones has completed the same number of league take-ons this season as Christiano Ronaldo and that's with him bringing the ball out from the back !!
Good job with those clips !! They show exactly why I'm convinced it's time he moved back a bit and go into the Xavi role . He could become the best midfielder ever and remain at the very top for another 6 years easy . It would just then mean getting a top notch right sided forward . Liverpool's Mane or Leicester's Mahrez Spring to mind but there are so many other options .
To be a midfielder you have to be willing to move more than Messi does and constantly drop deep to defend. I am not sure Messi would be willing to do that.
Ricardo Bochini - "For Messi, there is something which is not helping him and that's the coaches of Argentina." "Messi is alone up front, waiting for the ball (in Argentina NT). He doesn't have anybody to open up the pitch." "Messi is well assisted (at Barcelona) and poorly assisted (at Argentina)" "There is no other reason (for the difference in performances)" That he's helped less with Argentina is fairly obvious, but I hope people would actually understand that Messi actually has performed better with Argentina individually than with Barcelona. I mean he would have more major NT-titles than CL's during this time, if Higuain finished two 1on1's and a tap-in. Messi World Cup/Copa America 09-16 96% games (27/28) 68% win (19-3-5) 78% involved team goals (40/51 10+15+15) 7.0 players beaten per match 60% finals (3/5) Messi Champions League 09-16 89% games (73/82) 62% win (45-17-11) 64% involved team goals (114/177 66+23+25) 4.9 players beaten per match 29% finals (2/7)
Higuain, Di Maria and Aguero hardly contributed anything for Argentina when it really matter unlike they did for their respective clubs. In Argentina they just watch Messi and expecting him to delivers everything.. Off course when Argentina lose a match, its Messi's fault for everyone. Messi delivered 5 goals + 4 assists in latest Copa and he was blamed when Argentina lost the final. He basically did what Diego did in 1986 except Valdano and Burruchaga werent a chokers like Higuain or Aguero. Sure I think Messi should have taken more chances on his own but the way his teammate play, it must be frustrating for him.
Our boy has some explaining to do Police in Peru seize $85M cocaine haul bearing photos of Lionel Messi http://www.espnfc.com/barcelona/sto...m-cocaine-haul-bearing-photos-of-lionel-messi