Lionel Messi, the one who makes history even with an irregular Barcelona

Daniel Avellaneda

07/19/2020 - 15:31

• Clarín.com
• sports

The end of La Liga finds Barcelona on goal at the Mendizorroza stadium. The Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig kids especially flourish. There is an associated game, offensive variants and there are no traces of a team that "leaves much to be desired" , as Lionel Messi remarked after the defeat against Osasuna, the day of the consecration of Real Madrid. Opposite, of course, there is a rival (Alavés) who has no equivalences. But it is still another extraordinary Sunday of Rosario's crack. For those two goals -as they say in Spain- that confirm their luminosity in the constellation of the great scorers. For that double that parks him at the door of another record that promises to last for many years: to  be the footballer who won the Pichichi the most timesin the history of Iberian football.

Never before has there been a player capable of reaching the mark that Messi is about to conquer this weekend: his seventh Pichichi , the name of the trophy that the Marca newspaper delivers annually and is inspired by Rafael Moreno, Athletic Bilbao gunner between 1910 and 1920. Unless Karim Benzema (21 goals) has an unforgettable afternoon-night against Leganés (he would have to convert four goals to reach the Flea ), he will surpass Telmo Zarra, the Basque top scorer, who took a half dozen times the award. And he had already pulverized the marks of other heroes of the past: Quini Alvarez, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Hugo Sánchez and Ferenc Puskas.

It would be the fourth time in a row that Leo wins the award reserved for the kings of forcefulness, which would equal another historical mark, of the Mexican Hugo Sánchez. In this opportunity, Messi reached 25 goals. He did not exceed three tens in La Liga, as in the last three years: he had scored 36 in 2018/2019, 34 in 2017/2018 and 37 in 2016/2017. The individual goal, however, is accomplished. A rarity: if the entire decade (2010-2020) is taken into account, also computing the matches of the rest of the competitions, it is their worst ERA, 0.78, with 30 screams in 42 matches. They are still notable numbers, but Messi has us used to higher figures. He still has the Champions League ahead to improve his individual record.

Two other records were added in the match. Messi brought his participation in Barcelona goals to 1,000, between his own impacts and his passes; and he broke Xavi's brand with the Blaugrana shirt with the assistance for Ansu Fati: 21 transfers from him this season ended in celebrations by his teammates.

Messi's goals against Alavés came through decantation. He had polished off the post with a left-foot shot from mid-distance. It was the third shot in the pipes of Roberto Jiménez. Before, the young Puig and the Chilean Vidal had finished horizontal. Later Leo attended Ansu Fati to open the account and his came thanks to an assistance from Riqui. He anticipated the Alavés centrals, broke his waist, deceived the goalkeeper and defined comfortably.

The kids from La Masía, the one where Messi grew up, showed the way. After all, Messi needs to be surrounded with freshness, as happens in the Argentine National Team. Leo cannot carry the equipment on his own. Responsibility must be shared. And the second goal, Barça's fifth , came after a combination between Frenkie de Jong and Jordi Alba. The opening of the Dutchman led to a center behind the side and a first-rate resolution, one touch, from the Argentine star.

They were then throughout the championship for Messi 15 goals of play, 5 penalty and 5 free kick; 19 at the Camp Nou and 6 away from home. This Sunday was his second double (the previous one had been last year against Valladolid, on October 29). Later, he signed a poker (versus Eibar, on February 22) and two hat-tricks (against Celta de Vigo, on November 9 and against Mallorca, on December 7).

Their definitions were divided into 16 of the 33 games he played in the championship with 13 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses.

This time, the television camera caught a friendly chat between Messi and Quique Setién, the questioned coach who ultimately depends on the fate of Barcelona in the Champions League. And the captain's statements had a different tone than the one he used after Thursday's fall against Osasuna at Camp Nou.

"The most important thing is the attitude . The game will come. Today we saw something else, it was a difficult game. The team responded ... The attitude, the commitment ... Everything improved," said Messi, who did not dribble the front of crisis that was conceived after the triumph of Real Madrid against Villarreal and the 34th league of the meringues, but above all of the unfortunate performance of Barcelona at home against Osasuna.

“We did self-criticism in the locker room. We took a big step in attitude. We didn't have a great season, "he admitted. And he closed: "We need a little peace of mind before playing with Napoli. There's nothing more to talk about. We have to show that we made a change. We all have to be aware that we have to be more regular, every game, 90 minutes."

A Messi speech never goes unnoticed. The president Josep Bartomeu, the coach and the players will take note. Leo knows, in short, that he will not come out unscathed by more records that he has broken this season if at the end of the road the Orejona does not lift.