The first El Clásico in the league this season ended in a convincing 3-0 win for the Catalans.
King Leo strikes again
Lionel Messi loves playing against Real Madrid. This was another masterclass performance from him at the Santiago Bernabéu. His goal from the penalty spot was his 15th at Real’s ground and his 25th against the team, which are both new records to add to his resume. He also became the all-time top scorer for a single club across Europe’s top five leagues with his 526th goal for the Catalans. His assist for Aleix Vidal’s goal also means he has the highest amount of assists in the history of the fixture.
The goal he scored against Real was his 15th in the league this season which is a record because it is the 10th consecutive campaign that he has reached this marked. These records show his longevity as well as his impact in big games. However, just looking at his direct contributions doesn’t do him justice. He has so much influence on games which often isn’t noticed by the average football fan.
The variety of different roles he is involved in shows his importance to the team. He creates chances, imposes control, aids progression, finishes chances and that’s just his actions on the ball. His movement off the ball is just as important in aiding the team and moving the opposition around.
Lionel Messi: Created more clear-cut goalscoring opportunities vs Real Madrid (5) than any other player has managed in a La Liga match this season
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) December 24, 2017
Full match stats -- https://t.co/DYenmrPfbn pic.twitter.com/PFpwyLZhkJ
The statistic in the tweet above shows his influence on the game. Zinedine Zidane tried to man-mark him with Mateo Kovačić which led to their chief playmaker, Isco, having to sit out. This was clearly unsuccessful and reinforces how much attempting to nullify Messi dominates the opposition gameplans. The European and Spanish champions couldn’t stop him, so who can?