Barcelona 2-0 Espanyol: 4 records Lionel Messi set in the match

#2 Most freekick goals scored against a single opponent

Real Betis Balompie v FC Barcelona - La Liga

Messi's otherworldly talents mean that there is very little he cannot do with a ball and this includes having pin-point accuracy with a dead ball.

Mastering the art of freekick taking is one of the most difficult tricks in the book, despite the fact that Messi makes it look so easy.

Even though he only recently became Barcelona's bonafide freekick taker in 2015 following the departure of Xavi, Lionel Messi has turned freekick taking into art and is currently one of the deadliest men in the world when it comes to set pieces.

In December last year in a match against Espanyol, he netted twice from free kicks to take his total tally for 2018 to nine, which was more than any other club managed throughout the year.

In the second leg against the same opponent, the Argentine maestro opened the scoring with a delightful free-kick which was the sixth he had managed to score against Catalonia's second team.

6 - Messi has scored six direct free kick goals versus @RCDEspanyol in all competitions, more than against any other team in his career . Overriding. pic.twitter.com/ClxTO81YY0

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) March 30, 2019

It means the Periquitos are his favorite opponents when it comes to free kicks and the delightful nature of the panenka just added gloss to the landmark event.