“With Porto’s keeper rushing out after a defensive mix-up, Messi calmly drags the ball around him and finishes from a tight central angle to break the deadlock in the Super Cup final, sealing his first goal in this competition and career strike number 201.”
In the UEFA Super Cup final, Messi breaks the deadlock with a trademark steal-and-dink finish before threading the assist for the clincher, directly deciding another European trophy at just 24.
Against Liverpool in a Champions League semi-final, Messi’s late third for Barcelona turns a tight 2–0 into a daunting 3–0 cushion and also marks his 600th goal for the club, a mythic milestone reached on one of Europe’s biggest stages.
In a tense El Clásico Champions League semi-final deadlocked at 0–0, Messi latches onto Afellay’s low cross to break Madrid’s resistance and give Barcelona a crucial first-leg lead, on the way to a brace and his 35th Champions League goal.
Against a relentless Liverpool in a Champions League semi-final, Messi doubles Barcelona’s lead to tilt the tie decisively their way, and the strike also becomes his mythical 600th goal for the club.
In a Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona trailing Arsenal, Messi’s first strike instantly drags Barça level and ignites the four-goal masterclass that turns this night into his iconic Camp Nou ‘poker’, capped as career goal No.129 and his 22nd in the competition.