“In a frantic El Clásico with Barcelona trailing 3–2 at the Bernabéu, Messi calmly sends Diego López the wrong way from the spot to drag his team level and move closer to a historic hat-trick and his 235th La Liga goal.”
In a frantic El Clásico at the Bernabéu, Messi drags Barcelona through with a decisive hat-trick and a late winning penalty, adding an assist to dominate Real Madrid and swing the title race back into play.
In a frantic El Clásico at 3–3, Messi calmly pauses on the spot, waits for López to commit, then rolls the late penalty back across him to complete his hat-trick and restore Barça’s lead, sealing La Liga goal number 236 and career strike 384 under maximum pressure.
Retaking the lead from the spot at 1–1 against Osasuna, Messi calmly sends the goalkeeper the wrong way under no margin for error, a routine-looking penalty that in fact seals his 200th La Liga goal and underlines a four-goal masterclass.
With Málaga having just equalised, Messi calmly sends the keeper the wrong way from the spot to restore Barça’s lead and set up yet another hat-trick night, pushing him to a staggering 71 goals for the season and 268 in his career.
In the Barcelona derby, Messi calmly sends the keeper the wrong way from the spot to stretch the lead to 2–0, the third step in yet another four-goal haul that pushes him to an absurd 75 goals for the season and 272 in his career.