“Against Córdoba in stoppage time, Messi meets a bouncing ball with a crisp right-foot half-volley that skims through the crowd into the corner, capping a 5–0 win and registering his 258th La Liga goal and 422nd of his career.”
Messi’s brace sets the tone in a routine league win, combining ruthless finishing with a playmaking clinic as he racks up 19 progressive passes and dominates Córdoba over the full 90 minutes.
With Barcelona level late on, Messi lashes a difficult right-footed half-volley on the rise into the corner to retake the lead against Racing, a low-xG strike that stands out as the match-winning goal and his 77th career strike.
Against his favored victims Racing Santander, Messi meets a bouncing ball with a crisp right-foot half-volley that skips through the crowded box to seal a 3–0 win and bring up La Liga goal number 129 in his career tally of 214.
Retaking the lead at 2–2, Messi meets Fàbregas’ pass with a difficult right-foot half-volley, catching it sweetly as it rises and driving it past Villarreal to secure the 3–2 win and his 390th career goal.
Zlatan Ibrahimović’s lofted pass drops perfectly for Messi, who meets it with a crisp right-foot half-volley that skims low into the corner to break the deadlock for Barcelona, his 84th La Liga goal and 44th of a stunning season.