The science behind Messi's Copa Del Rey wonder goal

Messi‘s wonder goal set Barca on their way to Copa Del Rey

Messi’s goal against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa Del Rey will defiantly be remembered as one of his best ever. It was an awe-inspiring move by him which saw him leave 4 Bilbao defenders for dead and then releasing a strike with deadly accuracy, beating Bilbao goalkeeper Herrin at the near post.

ESPN Sports science has come up with scientific analysis of the goal, it reveals some incredible facts about the goal. Let us have a look at it. (By the end of the video you might just realize why people say Messi is from another planet).

Messi’s initial run was clocked at a speed of 31.38 Km/h and he took only 2.73 seconds to reach that speed and mind the fact that he had ball under his feet as well. When the 3 Bilbao defenders surrounded him, he decelerates and makes 3 short touches to beat all of them which took him only 1.2 seconds. Then cuts into the box where he shimmies past Laporte, this shimmy gave him 5 feet of space from which he released a shot with deadly accuracy at a velocity of 77.24 Km/h.

The whole move happened in a shocking 11.4 seconds. Another incredible fact is that in the whole move that covered nearly 60 yards, the ball was 2 feet away from Messi for barely 2 seconds.

The strike had to be so precise that if it was the point of contact was 1.5MM towards the right or left, he would have missed the shot.