Lionel Messi has time and time again proven that he is the best player in La Liga and in the world. Not only does he have the six Ballon d’Or trophies to prove that he is the most talented individual on this planet, but his stats this season have proven that he is a one-man army and can pull a team through a very tough season.
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This was Barcelona’s first year in transition with a new coach, new philosophy, and new board of directors. The chemistry that a team like Barcelona needs all the time was not present this season but still the Catalans managed to finish third in the league as well as win the Copa del Rey.
While we must all agree that it was a team effort since football is a team sport, there were some players who shone more than the others. Players like Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Jordi Alba were brilliant this season however, Barca’s player of the season must go to their captain, their legend, Lionel Messi.
The Argentine pulled off one of his best seasons in a Catalan shirt and made the league look too easy for him. He was undoubtedly the best individual in the team as well as in the league. His stats alone show us that he has been the most dominant presence in the league this season and it is unfortunate that he could not lift the title.
Here are some of the stats from the 2020/21 season proving the fact that Lionel Messi is the best in the world despite his age and that he does not require a world-class team around him. Although Barcelona fans will be disappointed with the way the season played out, especially towards the end, they can always be proud of their captain’s amazing numbers.
Most number of goals (30)
The Argentine has once again won the Pichichi trophy for the fifth year in a row. Since 2016, no one has been able to dethrone him from the top goalscorer spot and even though Messi and his former teammate, Luis Suarez, had a great rivalry for the spot this season, Messi comfortably came out on top. With 30 goals this season he eclipses second position, Karim Benzema and Gerard Moreno both of whom managed to score 23 goals each. It’s been a fantastic season for the 33-year-old in front of the net and he could have scored even more if he had played in all the league matches. However, he did miss out on three matches which hindered his goal-scoring record a little bit.
Most shots on goal (91) and Most shots in total (196)
It is easy to see how Messi had the most number of goals in La Liga this season if one sees the number of shots he has taken. The little magician had taken almost 200 shots in the 35 league matches that he appeared in and 91 of them were on target. The person closest to that is Karim Benzema who attempted only 123 shots in the entire season and could find the target only 55 times. This just goes on to show the amount of effort the Catalan captain puts on the field and contrary to popular belief that he has poor work ethics, these statistics prove that he is one of the most hard-working players in the Barcelona team.
Most shots off the woodwork (8)
The 33-year-old scored 30 goals this season but it could have easily been a bit more if he had a bit of luck on his side. He struck the post eight times this season which is the most by any player in the league. Benzema finishes a close second with seven shots off of the woodwork. The Argentine was cruelly denied by the post, the most number of times and this is synonymous with the club’s season. Barcelona had numerous chances of going to the top of the table however, they squandered their chances or they just did not have the luck. Hopefully, both the player and the club will have some more luck next season.
Goals from free-kicks (3) and Goals from outside the box (8)
Lionel Messi has the uncanny ability to be able to score from almost anywhere on the pitch thus it is not surprising that he has also been the constant free-kick taker of Barcelona for many seasons now. His three goals from free-kicks this season has taken his overall tally to 50 goals from free-kicks. Only Deportivo Alaves’ Joselu had more than one free-kick goal this season (2) other than Messi. The Argentine also had a surprising amount of goals from outside the box. Eight goals from his total of 30 were scored from outside the box which is four more than Benzema’s four. This shows us that Messi is clearly the player one needs when a wonder strike is required to break stubborn defenses.
Most chances created (77)
Not only is Messi the league’s top scorer this season, but he also holds the title for the most amount of chances created. The Argentine created an enormous number of chances, almost 80 of them however, only 11 were converted into assists. This shows us that the player is a team player and not looking for individual glory. He wants the team to succeed and he even said in a previous interview that he does not care about individual awards and would rather win a trophy with Barcelona. This is true sportsmanship and these statistics speak volumes about the player that he truly is. Huesca’s David Ferreiro ended up in the second position with 73 chances created although he ended up with only four assists.
Most dribbles completed (159)
Messi is perhaps best known not for his scoring abilities but for his tremendous ball control and the ability to dribble past top defenders with absolute ease. While it is true that at the age of 33, he has slowed down considerably, but he still manages to top the list when it comes to the most successful dribbles. The Argentine completed 159 of 261 dribbles that he attempted and he would have completed even more had it not been for the number of fouls made on him. It can safely be said that Messi is the most talented footballer in La Liga and his dribbling skill is second to none. In Fact, he may be too good as the second position, filled in by Javi Galan, who only completed 121 successful dribbles.
Most fouls received (99)
As mentioned earlier, Messi would have much more dribbles had it not been for the number of fouls committed on him. He is in fact, the most fouled player in the entire league, drawing almost 100 fouls. The defenders are always targeting the Argentine as if they do not keep him in eyeshot, he can easily slip past them and put the ball at the back of the net. Sometimes it’s not enough to keep up with the player and the defenders must put in a tactical foul to stop his forward progress. While it is unfair, Messi has been dealing with such rough treatment from the early days of his playing career. The player is used to tough and unfair defending techniques and he often draws fouls in for a suitable free kick or a penalty.
Most shots after dribbles (62)
Dribble past a few defenders and then shoot towards the goal, that is exactly what Lionel Messi is famous for. He can out-dribble the best defenders in the world and has a brilliant left leg with which he can put the ball at the back of the net with ease. Thus it is not surprising that the Argentine has the most number of shots after successful dribbles. It’s a tough technique that requires immense concentration and a lot of self-confidence. Most players want to pass the ball after a successful dribble however, Messi knows he has the ability to put the ball at the back of the net, and with the amount of dribbles that he completes in a single match, it would be foolish not to have a few shots himself. Fekir takes the second spot in this statistic with only 37 shots after dribbles which shows the difference in class between Lionel Messi and other top players.
Who was the best player of the 2020/21 season according to you?