Lionel Messi makes the game look so easy.
Just when his Barcelona looked like it might suffer it's first defeat in 19 La Liga matches, on stepped Lionel Messi to take on the unfamiliar role of super sub. His two goals in Sunday's win against Racing Santander added just the latest chapter to his ever-growing legend.
Having been left on the bench in a bid to get him some rest, Messi came on in the 59th minute and promptly made an impact. He scored the equalizer just six minutes after coming on, then added the game-winner in the 80th minute to help push Barcelona's winning streak to nine matches, and their unbeaten run in La Liga to an insane 20 matches.
Here is a rather artistic and entertaining look at Messi's performance (the goals come at 1:30 and 2:40 for those of you who can take only so much dance music):
Are there really still people holding out in the debate over whether Lionel Messi is currently the best player on the planet? Really?
Share your thoughts on Messi's latest heroics in the comments section below.
25 goals, 11 assists…at the halfway mark. Barca has been a joy to watch this year from the perspective of the whole team but Messi has just taken it to another level.
He is absurd. Since 2004 when he debuted according to Sport, Barca has NEVER lost when Messi scored a goal. Talk about being a Talisman!
Another thing that separates him from Ronaldo, clutchness. Off the top of my head, some moments he won or drew a game:
-First game against Racing tied it with a penalty. 1-1
-First game against Espanyol- won with an injury time penalty 2-1
-Away against Shaktar- won 2-1 after he scored two goals after coming off the bench including one in the last minute of injury time.
-Away at Atletico Madrid- scored a hat trick to win 3-1.
-Away at Osasuna- won 3-2 after he volleyed a super goal in at the 88th minute.
-Away at Racing- What you just saw.
Thats pretty darn clutch for the kid.
I never said that he was great… Just saying, and standing by, my comments that the defending is HORRENDOUS on both plays and that the keeper falls, doesn’t really dive.
First goal defender doesn’t track back, Messi passes the ball in goal (a finish that any pro should take clinically)
Second goal the defender wasn’t aware and didn’t see him coming so he just sends a flailing leg up. Messi makes a great play to control the ball, but still terrible defending.. . well struck ball, keeper falls to the right
I think it is safe to say that if this was a video of Cristiano Ronaldo, the second goal would not have happened because Ronaldo would have flopped to the ground looking for a free kick/penalty.
The angle on the second shot is just plain ridiculous-to hit it w/ his off-foot across his body w/ that kind of power is just impossibly incredible.
Bravo little Messi y visca BARCA!!!!
Messi has been the best player on the planet the last 2 1/2 years.
haha tres…shakes head*
He really plays with joy!
Messi is definitely the best player in the world at the moment. He is clearly the next European player of the year, Fifa world player of the year and if there are any more nominations, he will win those too. He got 25 goals in 22 games in all competitions this season. If he continues to play like that, he will surpass C. Ronaldo’s 42 goals last season.
“Terrible defending and keeper should have definitely had the second of the two.”
because a rocket shot going far post where the keeper goes into a full dive and manages to tip it onto the post just isnt good enough for some people.
“Is there anyone who can defend him? 1v1?”
Jonathan Bornstein!
Is there anyone who can defend him? 1v1?
Barca seems to have a knack for keeping the ball alive, and creating more and more chances…
It was often said of Michael Jordan that his greatness lay as much in how he made the players around him great. The same can be said about Messi. The moment that Messi entered the pitch, the whole tenor of the Barcelona attack changed.
Much as Michael Jordan forced defenses to always know where he was and try to deal with him, thus opening up his teammates, Messi also has that same effect.
And to those who continue to harp on “bad defense”, you didn’t watch the whole game. Messi’s presence and brilliance caused the defenses to break that had been stout until that point.
Watching the whole video and tolerating the music, you’ll notice that he absolutely embarrasses the right side of that defense. With pace, the ball over their heads, the ball on the ground, or ridiculously well placed passing he dominated. Watching only the two goals doesn’t tell the whole story at all.
Sos Grade Messi!!!
Isn’t no. 3 (Pique?) offsides on the 1st goal?
“Terrible defending and keeper should have definitely had the second of the two”
Agree with the defending, but there’s no way the keeper could have touched the second. It was a blast that would have taken plain luck to save.
The most important aspect of the goals in my opinion is that they were both right footed. That’s the huge difference with this year’s Messi. His right foot is now also a weapon.
Now we need to see that sort of magic with the Argentine shirt on!
But on the real topic at hand:
We’re running out of adjectives for Messi. He is astonishingly GOOD.
All of us who are getting a chance to watch him right now, week in and week out, should feel blessed. We’re witnessing something historic. Obviously we won’t know for a few years, but the guy could be staking his claim to the best of all time.
Great game for Messi. But, I still have to give Torres MVP honors for the weekend after his performance for Liverpool.
Messi is near-perfect for an attacking player: he has about 75% of Ronaldinho’s artistry and vision, the ability to pick a perfect pass to play, and 75% of Kaka/CRonaldo’s blistering pace and goalscoring instincts. These three were the last three attacking players to be FIFA world player of the year.
“…those of you who can take only so much dance music”
I’m just glad somebody actually knows where to properly place the “only” in a sentence like that. Most people would write “who can only take,” which is a grammatical (and logical) nightmare.
Cristiano Who?
Terrible defending and keeper should have definitely had the second of the two.
There’s no such thing as too much dance music!
Sick.
hands down, messi is the best, he’s everything you would want in an attacking player that plays on the wing.