Here, we will have a look at the top 10 Lionel Messi goals. Historically, there have been few football players who have controlled the match on their own or have played around with their opponents on the pitch, making them feel like dummies. Some players like Luiz Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Pele mesmerized the defense with trickery of the finest class and amazed both fans and opponents alike. In the modern day, these skills and techniques have been fine-tuned to bamboozle many players. Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo is one who stands out among the rest. But there’s one player with whom he shares consistent comepetition. One who has given even the best defenders a run for their money. He is the real “Special One”. He is the Argentinian maestro, Lionel Messi. Being a nimble-footed goal machine, he has scored some sumptuous goal over the past few years. Lets have a look at some of them..
#10 vs Paraguay (Home) World Cup 2014 Qualifier
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Argentina are hanging by the threads in a match that could go either way, with the score at 2-1. Paraguay have created upsets in the past and they could have do if they wouldn’t have conceded another goal. But up stepped the little magician for a freekick. Curling the ball over the Paraguayan wall and beyond the outstretched keeper into the bottom left corner, Lionel Messi proved to the world that hes just not about dribbling. He is equally adept at deadball situations too. Such is the versatilty of the player.
#9 vs Racing Santander (Home) 2011/2012
Here, Messi took the ball from the halfline with contained pace before feeding it to Iniesta, who cleverly backheeled to Messi. The magician’s off the ball movement was amazing, allowing him to delicately chip it over the standing tackle of the defender and then rounding the keeper to calmly slot the ball into the net. Simplicity at its best? Nah, thats what Messi does.
#8 vs Real Betis (Home) 2011/12
German legend Gerd Muller had set an incredible record of 85 goals in a calendar year in 1972. For 40 years, this record had been strong, dominant and almost perennial. But “supernatural Messi”, as Sportscenter Asia co-host Collete Wong regards him, had other plans. Receiving a short pass from Iniesta, Messi cut inside and with his deceived acceleration made two covering defenders collide with each other. Exploiting the space provided, he executed an unfathomable finish beyond the keeper to equal Muller’s record. Messi was reaching the stars. He wasn’t done yet at any cost and it was showing in his style of play.
#7 vs Athletic Bilbao ( Home)
Athletic were leading 1-0 at home to a Barcelona side pressing their defence with some calculated short passing. This move originated from such a play where Thiago feeded a short pass to Messi, who waited for the Bilbao man to converge on him. Messi dodged him, cut inside, brought the ball inside to his right foot, baffled another defender, cut inside again and passed it between two defenders into the bottom left corner of the keeper’s net. You truly can’t describe such a player. Just lost for words.
#6 vs Real Zaragoza (Away) 2009/2010
On a night where goals flowed, Lionel Messi threw a warning to Arsenal ahead of their Champions League when he scored a brilliant hattrick. Here, he superbly fended off a challenge by a Zaragoza man, accelerated through to their penalty box by sidefooting another defender, cuts inside before coming outside again, leaves the defender hapless and scores beyond a defeated keeper. One of the many evidences why many still believe that he’s the best in the world.
#5 vs Osasuna (Away) 2008/2009
FC Barcelona travelled to Reyno de Navarra on an extremely foggy night to boost their title hopes further by a win over Osasuna. Trailing 2-1, Barcelona came back on level terms with a goal from Xavi coming right at the end. The fans thought that they would have to suffice with a draw. But they were treated with a peach of a goal from Lionel Messi.
Cutting inside from wide, Messi had three defenders converging on him and he was around 25 yards away from goal. But a sweet left – footed shot flew between the defenders beyond the keeper into the bottom left corner like a rocket. There was jubilation in the Barcelona camp. The victory marked a huge step for their ultimate success in winning the title that season.
#4 vs Real Madrid (Home) 2011/2012
“Look at the pace, look at the speed, look at the touch, look at the intricacy of touch, the control and then..the finish” – The commentator summed it up for every viewer. Doing a one-two with Sergio Busquets, he jinxed past four defenders and finished at the most difficult angle, past the most tricky keeper at the time – Iker Casillas. A truly miraculous goal by a man who just makes everything look so simple.
#3 vs Real Madrid (Home) 2006/2007
Both Real Madrid and Barcelona had been knocked out of the Champions League a few days back. In La Liga, Barcelona was at second place with 49 points whereas Real Madrid were at their heels with 44 points. Sevilla were first with 50 points but had tough fixtures ahead to really stay at the top. Barcelona couldn’t afford to slip up as it would mean a genuine chance for Real to clinch the title due to the subsequent matches that Real had to play against minnow teams.
Thus, it was like a final for the trophy. Barcelona were trailing 2-3 till stoppage time, playing with only 10 men. In came the legendary kid, collecting an exquisite through pass from Ronaldinho, taking an intentional heavy touch to get it past two defenders, dribbling past the third and shooting past the outstretched leg of another defender and a flailing keeper. An important point to keep Barcelona alive in the title race and also to put the cherry on the cake for an amazing season for the young magician, making him just second to Kaka for the Ballon d’Or.
#2 vs Getafe (Home) 2007/2008
If not for the foundation goal of his career, this goal rests right among the top in the world. Sheer perserverance, quickness, wit....this goal has everything. Starting the move from behind the half line, Messi nutmegged one, used his strength to go past another, accelerated forward till he reached the opponent’s box, dribbled past another, dodged a helpless tackle by YET another defender, rounded the keeper and scored probably the best goal that Nou Camp had ever seen. Everybody was up on their feet in respect for the dynamite that he was proving to be...and he was just 19 years old. A goal of Maradona’s class and convincingly displayed. Truly spectacular.
#1 vs Albacete (Home) 2005/2006
Fresh from the Barcelona academy, Messi was just 17 years of age when he netted his first goal for the club. Receiving a clever chip from Ronaldinho in the box, his first touch was perfect and his finish was even better, a volley past the hapless Albacete keeper into the bottom right corner.
The huddled celebration that followed was one which showed how much this young prodigy meant for Barcelona. There was no discerning who was more happy – Messi or the rest of the team. A truly memorable moment etched in every Barcelona fan. This is where his journey started
