5 games that defined careers of modern day greats

Bale destroyed the reputation of Maicon with his performance against Inter Milan in 2010

#2 Lionel Messi

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Barcelona vs Real Madrid – La Liga (10/03/2007)

In 2007 Messi became the first player to score a hattrick in an El Clasico in 12 years
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If you are a Barcelona player, there is one thing that will forever make you a revered figure in Catalonia, and that is scoring against arch-rivals Real Madrid. Lionel Messi was a talent that had grabbed footballing headlines as he rapidly rose through the ranks at Camp Nou between the years 2003 and 2005

The Argentinian magician was handed his first professional contract on his 18th birthday in 2005 and despite impressing in bits and parts for the club, it was only in the late 2006-07 season that Messi truly showcased why he was amongst the best in the business and did so with aplomb against Real Madrid.

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While his first two goals were Messi applying finishing touches to the moves of his attacking colleagues, although not the easiest of opportunities, the third goal was pure Messi magic. He received the ball outside the box and beat three Real Madrid players as he darted into the box and unleashed a powerful shot that beat Iker Casillas at the far post.

At 19 years of age, Messi had become the first player to score a hat-trick in El Clasico after 12 years and in the process announced his arrival on the international stage. There have been several glorious moments and few heart breaks as well for the Argentine legend but it cannot be argued that Messi is in the same legion of players as Pele and Diego Maradona, owing to his magical performances for club and country.

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