The soccer world sat captivated as the two biggest names in the sport received the axe in the Champions League Round of 16. When the dust settled both Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus and Lionel Messi’s Barcelona had been reduced to rubble at the hands of Porto and Paris Saint-Germain.
With his 767th Barcelona appearance coming in Monday’s LaLiga match against Huesca, Lionel Messi equalled Xavi’s record for most in the legendary Blaugrana shirt.
Right before kickoff, the club released a video in which Barcelona stars past and present congratulated the 33-year-old on his remarkable feat of otherworldly consistency and longevity.
Algún día tenía que pasar. Todos sabemos que el cuerpo deja de producir momentos “¡guau!” a medida que envejece y los casos de Lionel Messi y Cristiano Ronaldo, dos de los futbolistas más grandes de la historia, no son la excepción. Si bien aún son capaces de un “Last Dance” o un último y maravilloso atardecer de otoño, la verdad triste y dura es que su época de dominio global ha llegado a su fin.
Despite controlling 73 percent possession and attempting 21 shots compared to just seven for PSG, Barcelona could only manage one goal at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday — which was canceled out by a controversial Kylian Mbappé penalty in a 1-1 draw — to crash out of the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage, 5-2 on aggregate.
It’s easy, as soccer fans, to always focus on the amazing goals or the incredible last-ditch saves. But sometimes it’s a pass that stands out. On Saturday, this Lionel Messi assist vs Osasuna ripped apart the defense and was better than any goal scored in some time.
Messi’s magical left foot can do it all. Usually we watch it ripping a gorgeous curler or dancing around defenders. So today let’s appreciate the Argentine’s marvelous passing ability as Barcelona beat Osasuna 2-0 on Saturday.
As an American soccer fans, we’re subjected to countless drab British announcers who have all the entertainment value of a trip to the dentist. For every excellent Ian Darke there are dozens of nameless, faceless commentators who add little excitement to the game.
Colchoneros, catalanes, merengues y nervionenses tendrán que dar el todo por el todo en la cancha si pretenden conquistar el ansiado título de la Liga Santander 2020-2021. Temporada tan particular como atípica. Estadios vacíos, pandemia incontrolable, crisis económica mundial y ahora el “Barçagate” percuten en demasía el ritmo de la competencia en España.
Barcelona was nursing a slender one-goal lead for most of its match with Sevilla, the club directly behind it in the LaLiga standings. Lionel Messi had received the support Barça needed to be in position to win, but the Argentine hadn’t yet put his own stamp on the game. But as he does more often than not, Messi created a bit of magic late and helped Barcelona beat Sevilla 2-0 on Saturday at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.
No tengo la certeza, pero tampoco dudas, de que varios jugadores profesionales (y también amateurs) sueñan algún día cruzarse en una cancha de fútbol con Lionel Messi solo para esperar el final del partido y pedirle su camiseta. Seguramente hay horas de preparación para cuando llegue ese momento, las cuales incluyen tiempo frente al espejo ensayando un "Leo, tu camiseta, por favor" o cosas por el estilo. Sin embargo, suponemos que muy pocos están preparados para cuando ocurra lo contrario, cuando sea el mismísimo Messi quien pida tu camiseta.
Ronald Koeman's Barcelona, third place in LaLiga on 50 points, travels south on Saturday to take on Sevilla, just two points behind them in fourth.