“With Barcelona already ahead against Rayo, Messi doubles the lead to put the game out of reach and, almost casually, brings up his 300th career goal at just 25 years old.”
Messi’s brace here pushes him past the 300-career-goal mark, turning a routine La Liga rout of Rayo into a landmark night in his peak years.
Against Atlético’s packed defence at 0–0, Messi takes Suárez’s layoff on the edge of the box and, almost side-on to goal, threads a low left-foot shot precisely inside the far post for a stoppage-time winner and his 428th La Liga goal.
From a tight central pocket against Sevilla’s packed line, Messi calmly side-foots a low left-foot finish just inside the post to crack open the 0-0 and set Barcelona’s 5–0 rout in motion, his 94th La Liga goal and eventual winner.
From a central position just inside the area, Messi calmly threads a low left-footed strike through a crowd to restore Barcelona’s lead over Real Sociedad, his composed finish standing out as the eventual winning goal and his 170th in La Liga.
From a tight central pocket just inside the box, Messi calmly threads a low left‑footed strike through bodies past the keeper, completing his hat-trick against Osasuna and pushing his La Liga tally to 232 career goals.