messi breaks record

[bapa]

Lionel Messi became Barcelona's all-time record goalscorer while scoring a hat-trick on a night when the Catalan giant survived a scare against Granada to win 5-3 and move within five points of Primera Division leader Real Madrid.


Messi broke the club record of 232 official goals set by Cesar Rodriguez during the 1940s and 1950s when he coolly lobbed home his second of the match in the 67th minute to put Barca back in the lead after Granada had fought back from two down to 2-2.

Barca substitute Cristian Tello then added a fourth before Messi completed his eighth hat-trick of the season in the 86th minute to put his side 5-2 ahead.

There was still time after that for Granada, which had cancelled out early strikes from Xavi and Messi with second-half goals from Diego Mainz and Guilherme Siqueira, to pull another goal back when Siqueira slotted in his second penalty of the night after Dani Alves had been sent off.

However, Barca had already done enough to claim the win that puts further pressure on Madrid, which faces a potentially tricky trip to Villarreal on Wednesday evening (Thursday morning AEDT).

Barca, which had started last weekend 10 points adrift of Jose Mourinho's side, had appeared set for another big home win when Xavi and Messi scored in the opening 17 minutes.

Isaac Cuenca's cross to the far post was nodded back by Messi to Xavi near the penalty spot and the Spain international found the back of the net despite not getting a clean connection on his volley.

Messi then saw a good chance saved before the Argentina international equalled Rodriguez's club record with a far-post volley after another Cuenca cross from the right.

Messi missed another opportunity to secure his spot in the history books in the 52nd minute when he scuffed a shot wide as Barca made a sluggish start to the second half.

The focus then quickly switched from whether the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year could break Rodriguez's record to whether Barca could get the three points as Granada stunned its host by drawing level.

It was 2-1 in the 55th minute when Mainz got above Gerard Pique to head in Jorge Carlos Martins's free-kick, and then six minutes later it was 2-2 as Siqueira slotted in from the spot.

Alves gave the penalty away with a clumsy challenge on Daniel Benitez in the box and Siqueira sent Victor Valdes the wrong way from 12 yards.

That was a wake-up call for Pep Guardiola's men, and they did not take long to respond with Messi putting them back ahead within six minutes with his milestone goal.

The flag stayed down as Messi latched onto Alves' throughball and the 24-year-old lobbed the ball over the outcoming Julio Cesar to take his tally to an incredible 48 goals in 40 games for the European champion this season.

Messi was also involved in Barca's fourth goal in the 82nd minute as his thunderous cross-shot was palmed out by Julio Cesar, with Tello latching onto the loose ball to roll his shot into the net.

The night was Messi's though, and so was the match ball in the 88th minute as he completed his hat-trick with a typically clinical finish, picking up Alves' throughball, rounding Julio Cesar and slamming his shot into the roof of the net past two covering defenders.

Granada pulled a third goal back in the 89th minute after winning another penalty, with Alves harshly being handed his marching orders after Benitez's attempted cross deflected off his thigh onto his hand.

Siqueira cheekily dinked the resulting penalty home, with Valdes again going the wrong way, but it was Barca celebrating at the end on a record-breaking night for Messi and one that proves the title race is still alive

[Old Master]

Despite my reticence to hail Messi the equal of Pele or Maradonna, I am beginning to warm to the idea that he could, in time, be even better than the two masters.

After all, he is still only in his early twenties and still has time to win a couple of World Cups providing Argentina can give him some players capable of working with his genius.

Let's review his status after the next WC.

[El Pibe D'Oro]

Freakshow.

Nothing more to say.

Just a freak of nature.

[Nice One Cyril]

If he was 28 or 29 you could say what a great achievement. What the hell do you call it when he's only 23 FFS?

Just wow.

[ronaldo07]

i still dont understand - why do u need to win the world cup to be the world best ??
if football is about 1 men game, then yes the statement is valid ..
but it's a sport of 11 men .. stupid to say it i must said !!!

[SoaDowning]

HIS POWER LEVEL IS OVER 9000 !

[Le King]

Would still be 15 goals behind Sir Bobby Charlton if he was at Man United... Great effort though especially at his age

[Old Master]

i still dont understand - why do u need to win the world cup to be the world best ??
if football is about 1 men game, then yes the statement is valid ..
but it's a sport of 11 men .. stupid to say it i must said !!!

Because the World Cup is the highest level of world football and the hardest test of a player's ability to be judged the 'Best Player In The World'.

Pele and Maradonna have proved themselves there - Messi is yet to achieve that goal.

[bapa]

i still dont understand - why do u need to win the world cup to be the world best ??
if football is about 1 men game, then yes the statement is valid ..
but it's a sport of 11 men .. stupid to say it i must said !!!

Because the World Cup is the highest level of world football and the hardest test of a player's ability to be judged the 'Best Player In The World'.

Pele and Maradonna have proved themselves there - Messi is yet to achieve that goal.

this!

all he needs is a world cup winners medal, and he will surpass Maradona and Pele as the greatest to ever play our game