On Sunday evening, the match between "Barcelona" and "Levante" became Lionel Messi's 300th match in the Spanish national championships, and the Argentine celebrated the milestone with a bang.
If at the beginning of the season there were sometimes doubts that the leader of the Catalan team played as if he had gotten out of bed on the wrong foot, then in 2015 the four-time best player on the planet engaged the highest gear and instilled fear in opponents' defenders.
Three goals sent to Diego Marino's "Levante" goal by L. Messi in the Spanish championship matches scoring hat-tricks rivaled Cristiano Ronaldo - both of them have 23 such performances. Behind the Argentine and the Portuguese are two "Primeros" legends - Telmo Zarra and Alfredo di Stefano. They defeated opponents' goalkeepers three times in a match 22 times.
In addition, L. Messi surpassed T. Zarra according to hat-tricks scored in all Spanish tournaments - both the championship and the King's Cup. These two footballers have scored three goals each 31 times.
Neither T. Zarra nor A. Di Stefano will improve their statistics anymore. But L. Messi, who is only 27, continues to prove that "impossible is nothing," as the English say.
Still, C. Ronaldo is ahead.
Several correct shots in the player's account, Luis Suarez and defenders, and achievements in the statistics category have changed drastically. From 14 precise shots by the Argentine, only 4 goals in the Portuguese account, and voilà - the "Pichichi" result is now 28:26. Still in favor of C. Ronaldo.
Moreover, statistics enthusiasts have calculated that in the calendar year 2015, L. Messi outperformed and made more assists than the entire so-called Madrid BBC - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, and C. Ronaldo. The Argentine has 14 goals and 8 assists this year, while the Madrid trio defeated opponents' goalkeepers only 11 times and assisted their teammates 6 times. And what about Neymar, in excellent athletic form, and Luis Suarez, who constantly attracts opponents' defenders and shares assists?
Goals are goals, but the match on Sunday with "Levante" was marked by another L. Messi record. Before scoring his hat-trick, the Argentine set an impressive assist to Neymar in the 17th minute, who scored the first goal of the match with an equally impressive "balloon."
This was L. Messi's 106th successful assist in the Spanish championship out of 300 matches played by him. But in "Primera" these statistics have been officially collected only for the last 25 years, and so far the unbeaten record holder was Luis Figo with 105 assists. Until February 15th, 2015.
"If the assist statistics were calculated from earlier, and someone here would be first, L. Messi would still beat him," wrote goal.com analyst Ben Hayward.
It is undeniable that C. Ronaldo and his Real Madrid, as consistent rivals of L. Messi, will rise from the abyss, as footballers and clubs of such caliber simply cannot play poorly for a long time.
But in the eternal battle of the two football titans, both are guided by different values.
The roots of Portuguese ego and self-realization problems lie much deeper than many might think.
The humble and simple L. Messi is most often compared to the greatest football legends - Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Gerd Muller, Pele, and Alfredo Di Stefano. However, C. Ronaldo, who struggles to control his narcissism and demands constant personal attention, can win several "Golden Balls," but for now, he is most often compared to… L. Messi.
Of course, there are those who think differently. For example, "Marca", the Portuguese, and C. Ronaldo's teammates. It's their right.
But comparing these two great footballers, whose talent should not be doubted even by each other's devoted fans, Vladimir Mylenko's thought expressed back in 2011 overshadows everything: "If allowed, C. Ronaldo would engrave his name on the front of the stamps. If allowed, L. Messi would erase his name and write his grandmother's name on the back of the stamps. This is to whom the Argentine dedicates each of his goals, crossing himself after a gentle shot and directing his gaze to the sky."
fcbarcelona.lt
