The teenage prodigy broke into the senior squad just three years later, making his Liga debut in October 2004, against Espanyol. “It seemed as if he had been playing with us all his life,” enthused Barcelona’s then assistant coach Henk Ten Cate.
Messi netted the first of his 500 goals for the club the following May, against Albacete, and has since gone on to break record after record.
In 2012 alone, he made history by scoring more goals in all club competitions in a single season (73) and across a calendar year (79) on his way to becoming Barcelona’s all-time leading marksman in La Liga.
“I feel sorry for those who want to compete for Messi’s throne because it’s impossible, as this kid is unique,” Pep Guardiola said of a player who was still only 24 at the time.
In 2014, Messi hit a hat-trick against Sevilla to pass Telmo Zarra’s tally of 251 Liga goals.
With his brace against Madrid, he has now reached another milestone and, given he is still only 30, there could still be many more records to come.
Somehow
Messi volleys wide from close range after navas has an absolute flap at a
corner and that’s half time. Everybody back round the referee.
45 mins
We’ll
have another two minutes added, and it’s Barcelona looking to make the
most of it as Messi piles forward. Casemiro fouls him, fairly cynically,
and he’s on a booking, which means the entire population of Catalonia
is around the referee demanding a red card. Pretty lucky to escape
without one, however unedifying the crowd scene is.
32 mins GOAL!!!!!!! Real Madrid 1 BARCELONA 1
That
didn’t last long. Messi glides into the penalty area and rolls in the
equaliser. Now the top scorer in this fixture’s history, one ahead of Di
Stefano.
It’s a beautiful goal, flowing football, hot knife through butter stuff, and Messi’s control and finish was absolutely perfect. First goal in six meetings with Real.
It’s a beautiful goal, flowing football, hot knife through butter stuff, and Messi’s control and finish was absolutely perfect. First goal in six meetings with Real.
27 mins GOAL!!!!! REAL MADRID 1 Barcelona 0
Casemiro scores from close range and Real are, deservedly, in front.
A cleared corner is lofted back into the far post. There’s a queue of Real Madrid players standing offside but the assistant decides, quite possibly incorrectly, that Ramos is not one of them. He hits the inside of the post but the ball rolls plum for Casemiro to score into an empty net from close range.
A cleared corner is lofted back into the far post. There’s a queue of Real Madrid players standing offside but the assistant decides, quite possibly incorrectly, that Ramos is not one of them. He hits the inside of the post but the ball rolls plum for Casemiro to score into an empty net from close range.
19 mins
Right, well at one end Ronaldo is shooting low and Ter Stegen produces the best save of the game.
But, at the other, Messi is down and, literally, picking his teeth out of the grass. Blood flowing. Marcelo, replays suggest, has caught him flush in the gob with a flying elbow – unusually for this fixture it does look like a genuine accident.
Physio frantically stuffing cotton wool into Messi’s face.
But, at the other, Messi is down and, literally, picking his teeth out of the grass. Blood flowing. Marcelo, replays suggest, has caught him flush in the gob with a flying elbow – unusually for this fixture it does look like a genuine accident.
Physio frantically stuffing cotton wool into Messi’s face.
9 mins Barcelona settling down
Having
successfully ridden that fast start from Real without shipping a goal
Barcelona are now starting to move the ball around and retain
possession. Suarez shoots wide of the far post from the edge of the area
– 32 goals this season but none in his last four.
1 min
And so it
begins. Ronaldo is the first to hit the deck and turn to the referee.
Real Madrid want a penalty, officials say no. Replay pending…
Could easily have been a spot kick. Umtiti, on El Classico debut, hung a leg out, got none of the ball, clipped Ronaldo. As we’ve come to expect in this fixture, he did hit the deck very easily though. Our referee this evening is the rather splendidly named Alejandro José Hernández Hernández.
Could easily have been a spot kick. Umtiti, on El Classico debut, hung a leg out, got none of the ball, clipped Ronaldo. As we’ve come to expect in this fixture, he did hit the deck very easily though. Our referee this evening is the rather splendidly named Alejandro José Hernández Hernández.
Odd Messi stats
Just the
45 goals in 45 games for Lionel Messi this season – similar record to
Alvaro Negredo at Middlesbrough – but his El Classico record isn’t that brilliant of late.
No goals in six meetings and he’s only scored in two of the last dozen games between the two sides – albeit he did bag a hat trick in one of the other two.
No goals in six meetings and he’s only scored in two of the last dozen games between the two sides – albeit he did bag a hat trick in one of the other two.
History makers
Madrid
are hunting a La Liga and Champions League double for the first time
since the Di Stefano side of the 1950s – 1958 to be precise.
They go into tonight’s match three points ahead of Barcelona with a game in hand. Barcelona have a far better goal difference, and if they win tonight they’ll also have a better head to head record which is how tied teams are separated at the end of the season.
There are five league games to go, and Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has already confirmed he’ll be leaving in the summer. They’re in wobbly form – two defeats and a draw in the last four. Real haven’t lost in a dozen games in all comps.
They go into tonight’s match three points ahead of Barcelona with a game in hand. Barcelona have a far better goal difference, and if they win tonight they’ll also have a better head to head record which is how tied teams are separated at the end of the season.
There are five league games to go, and Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has already confirmed he’ll be leaving in the summer. They’re in wobbly form – two defeats and a draw in the last four. Real haven’t lost in a dozen games in all comps.
Bale is back
Headlines
for Real Madrid include the return after a two match injury absence for
Wales winger Gareth Bale who starts up front with Benzema and some
other bloke.
Real: Navas; Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, nacho; Kroos, Modric, Casemiro; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Subs: Casilla, James, Kovacic, Asensio, Morata, Isco, Danilo
Real: Navas; Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, nacho; Kroos, Modric, Casemiro; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Subs: Casilla, James, Kovacic, Asensio, Morata, Isco, Danilo
Teams are in
The big
talking point all week has been whether Neymar would be allowed to play.
His red card in the defeat at Malaga (to go with the 15 yellow cards
he’s had this season) resulted in a one match ban, extended to three for
sarcastically applauding the officials on the way off. Barcelona tried
to take their appeal all the way to the Court of Appeal for Sport this
weekend but have admitted defeat and he is not playing.
So…
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Alcacer
Subs: Cillessen, Denis, Arda, Mascherano, Digne, Gomes, Alena
So…
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Alcacer
Subs: Cillessen, Denis, Arda, Mascherano, Digne, Gomes, Alena
Big-match preview
What is it?
It’s Real Madrid vs Barcelona and, if that’s not enticing enough, a clash that could go a long way to deciding this season’s La Liga title.When is it?
It’s on Sunday April 23.What time is kick-off?
This one starts at 7.45pm BST.What TV channel is it on?
Sky have the rights to La Liga and will be showing this clash on Sky Sports 1 and HD, with coverage beginning at 7pm. Alternatively, you can follow all the action right here with goal updates and analysis.What is the team news?
Real MadridMadrid will be without defenders Pepe and Raphael Varane for the game, while Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos and Gareth Bale all have question marks over their fitness heading into the weekend.
Barcelona:
Barcelona will be without Neymar, who was suspended three games after sarcastically applauding an assistant referee in the loss to Malaga in the league two weeks ago. Full team news to be confirmed.
Barcelona will be without Neymar, who was suspended three games after sarcastically applauding an assistant referee in the loss to Malaga in the league two weeks ago. Full team news to be confirmed.
What are they saying?
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane on Cristiano Ronaldo:“I don’t know if there’s a category for him. What you see Cristiano doing is really impressive. The goals, the way he finishes them, in such key, important moments,” said Zidane of the No. 7.
“He always knows when there’s an important occasion, he’s going to be there. It is out of any sort of category. There are few players who can to do what Ronaldo has done and we all know that.”
Barcelona boss Luis Enrique:
“It will be difficult to lift my players up after this, but it will be easy to motivate them. We have the best stimulus that any Barcelona fan could ask for which is that we play against our eternal rival. There’s no better place to go than the Bernabeu.
“We have the chance to get back in the fight for La Liga in a six-pointer against the side top of the league. I love being involved at a club as ambitious as this.”
“It will be difficult to lift my players up after this, but it will be easy to motivate them. We have the best stimulus that any Barcelona fan could ask for which is that we play against our eternal rival. There’s no better place to go than the Bernabeu.
“We have the chance to get back in the fight for La Liga in a six-pointer against the side top of the league. I love being involved at a club as ambitious as this.”
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