8 Metrics topped by Barcelona's Lionel Messi in LaLiga 2020-21

#4 Most chances created: 77

Valencia CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga Santander

Second place:

David Ferreiro (73)

Apart from carrying the goalscoring burden of his side, Lionel Messi is also undisputedly Barcelona's best creator. The 33-year-old has created chances out of nothing to bail his side out on several occasions.

Huesca veteran David Ferreiro's 73 chances is the closest anyone got to Lionel Messi's league-high 77, having played two games more. Real Madrid's Toni Kroos comes in at third place with 67, and the only other Barcelona player on the list is Jordi Alba with 53.

---

#5 Most big chances created: 22

Granada v Barcelona - Copa del Rey

Second place: Iago Aspas (16)

Building on the previous metric, Lionel Messi has also created a league-high 22 big chances in LaLiga.

Opta defines a big chance as 'a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one-on-one scenario or from very close range when the ball has a clear path to goal and there is low to moderate pressure on the shooter.'

His tally of 22 falls short of his 2019-20 total by 14. Lionel Messi failed to hit 30 big chances created in a season for the first time since registering 25 in 2016-17. Iago Aspas comes in next at 16.

---

#6 Most through balls: 20

FC Barcelona v Athletic Club - Supercopa de Espana Final

Second place: Sergio Busquets (13)

There are very few players in the world who can register through balls as effortlessly as Lionel Messi. He can split defences wide open with a ball that very few can actually see, let alone execute the pass.

No player in LaLiga, and in fact, in Europe's top five leagues could match Lionel Messi's tally of 20 through balls. His Argentine teammate Angel Di Maria comes in at second with 16 in Ligue 1. In LaLiga, Sergio Busquets' 13 is the closest to his Barcelona teammate's 20.

---

#7 Most take-ons: 159

Real Betis v FC Barcelona - La Liga Santander

Second place: Javier Galan (121)

Another well-documented facet of Lionel Messi's game is his god-like ability on the ball to ghost past players like they were training cones. While the naked eye is more than enough to be convinced of his dribbling ability, statistics merely amplify his case. He completed an astonishing 182 of them in LaLiga alone.

This year, the Barcelona captain is one of only two players in LaLiga to surpass 100 take-ons with Javi Galan of Huesca. Messi completed a whopping 38 more of them than the Spaniard.

---

#8 Most fouls drawn: 99

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - La Liga Santander

Second place: Javi Galan (97)

It isn't hard to see why the best dribbler in LaLiga and possibly the best in the world is the man with the most number of fouls won. No player in the division was fouled more times than Lionel Messi this season. That being said, unlike other metrics on this list, this is a mighty close finish.

Javi Galan comes in at second place with 97 fouls won, while Nabil Fekir and Kike come in next with 93 and 92 fouls won respectively.

---