“With PSV’s defence packed on the edge of the box at 0–0, Messi calmly shapes his left-foot finish through a crowd from a tight central pocket to break the deadlock, adding Champions League goal number 106 to his career tally of 632.”
In the midst of a hot Champions League scoring streak, Messi leads Barcelona in Eindhoven with a sharp finish and a precise assist, driving a tight away win and taking Man of the Match at 31 in sustained control of Europe’s biggest stage.
From a tight central pocket against PSV’s packed box, Messi calmly meets Rakitić’s cushioned layoff with a first-time left-foot finish into the corner, completing his hat-trick and pushing his Champions League tally to 102 goals.
With Borussia Mönchengladbach’s back line set and the game still goalless, Messi pauses inside the box to steady himself before sweeping Arda Turan’s low cutback into the far corner, a composed first-time left-foot finish that breaks the deadlock and becomes his 93rd Champions League goal.
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.
Against Peru in a Copa América quarter-final, Messi darts across the box from Riquelme’s pass and, with his body almost facing away from goal, hooks a left-foot finish back across the keeper to double Argentina’s lead and open his Copa América account.