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

#1 First player to score 40+ goals in 10 consecutive seasons

Messi is the La Liga first player to score 40+ goals in 10 consecutive seasons

As already established, Lionel Messi is the greatest goalscorer in the history of Spanish football and perhaps of all-time anywhere in football's annals.

He, however, had a very slow start, netting just one goal from eight matches in his first season with Barcelona, but those were very much testing water days in what was to become the legendary story.

His first double figures in all competitions were reached two seasons after his debut when he scored 17 goals from 36 appearances in the 2006/2007 season.

The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in LaLiga in direct comparison with Lionel Messi undoubtedly brought out the best in the pair.

This viewpoint best exemplified by the fact that the Barcelona man had his first ever 40-goal season in 2009/2010, which happened to be Ronaldo's first season in Spain. He scored 47 goals in all competitions to help Barcelona to a domestic double.

This is, however, the benchmark these days as Lionel Messi and his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo have taken goalscoring to preposterous levels.

Last season, Messi grabbed headlines by becoming the first man in European footballing history to score 40 goals in nine consecutive seasons. He extended his record in the match against Espanyol on Saturday.

His brace in the game took him to 40th and 41st goals for the season from just 38 appearances in all competitions this term, meaning he has scored 40+ goals for 10 consecutive seasons.