Lionel Messi vs Huesca: Barcelona No. 10 shows that he is still the G.O.A.T.

There are few things that can be guaranteed in the world right now. Thankfully, one of them is that watching Lionel Messi play for Barcelona will always be entertaining. Leo brings that rare consistency in his game, and with or without his goals and assists, he will almost always conjure up some kind of magic on the field. The game against Valladolid seemed a little short of his heavenly touch, so when Barcelona welcomed Huesca, their skipper knew what to do.

Barcelona started the game on the back foot though, going behind in the third minute. But when you have Messi in the team, there is always hope around and in the 16th minute, the genius showed why he is considered the greatest of all time.

He received a ball from Coutinho outside the box in his left foot and with a body feint, left the defender on the floor, cutting the ball back to his right and raced into the box. While the entire Huesca team readied itself for Messi to cut back to his left, his preferred foot, Leo fooled them all, finishing exquisitely with his right. Barcelona were level!

Jodi Alba contributed to the next goal when Pulido put the left back’s ball into the net. Suarez was then set up by Alba, as Barcelona went 3-1 ahead. However, Huesca got one back before the break, with the score at 3-2 after the first half. It would seem that Huesca were still in the game. However, 3 minutes into the second half, Suarez set up Dembele to score Barcelona’s 4th and it looked all over for Huesca. However, further misery was about to come.

Few minutes after the break, Messi was brought down unlawfully by the Huesca defence, yet the referee did not give a foul. The Skipper got up, dusted himself and got on with the game. Yet, one could not help but think that he would punish them in his own way.

Minutes later, Leo had the ball outside the penalty box. He played a quick one-two with Coutinho and it looked like he was setting up to take a shot. The Huesca defence prepared itself, concentrating all their efforts on him. Yet, through the corner of his eye, Messi had seen Rakitic arriving and lofted a perfect ball for the Croatian to hit home the first time.

The punishment was not over though. Minutes later, Coutinho was on the ball in the halfway line and Messi initiated a brilliant run, anticipating Coutinho’s pass. The Brazilian obliged, with a pass made of dreams. Messi left the Huesca defence behind, went one on one with the keeper and slotted the ball home again.

Around the 75th minutes, Messi was pushed out of the penalty box, without any foul awarded. Again the Barcelona skipper smiled and got up without any fuss. 2 minutes later, Coutinho was fouled just outside the box and Messi’s free-kick whiskered past the upright, with the goalkeeper beater. It seemed like another timely reminder and Huesca did not bother him again for the last few minutes.

But Messi did punish them again, in the 81st minute. When the entire Huesca defence was crowding him up as he received the ball in the box, Messi set up Alba with an inch-perfect ball and the left back obliged with Barcelona’s 7th goal.

In a wonderful finish to the game, Suarez won a penalty for Barcelona right at the end of the game. With Messi on a hattrick, Suarez immediately handed the ball to Leo. But Messi, the skipper, the friend, put his team ahead of his personal glory, knowing very well how much Suarez needs his goals. Messi gave the ball back to the Uruguayan, who slotted home Barcelona’s 8th of the game.

A beautiful Barcelona goal fest orchestrated by Lionel Messi finally came to an end and Leo scored 2 goals and added 2 assists to his name, while also hitting the crossbar once. Lionel Messi reminded everyone once again, with his goals and his big-heartedness, why he still is the G.O.A.T.