Lionel Messi’s Hat-trick Double

At just 22 years of age, Lionel Messi has already collected more important awards and silverware than Michael Ballack runner-up medals in his whole career. It’s just too easy for him, so he needs to find new challenges. Letting Diego Maradonna coach the Argentine national team is one. Matching a ridiculous quantity of goals with equally ridiculous quality is another.

Messi followed up his hat-trick against Valencia with another hat-trick against Real Zaragoza on Sunday. His third this season, but only his fifth in his career so far. Here is something that could keep him interested for a short while. Champions League included, Messi has now scored ten goals in four matches, two hattricks and two braces, one goal every 36 minutes.

His first goal was a simple enough header, but then things got interesting. In the 66th minute, he did well to win the ball just inside the Zaragoza half, from where he started his run through a couple of defenders to eventually send the ball into the far post. The Barcelona Offside has dedicated a separate post to this one. Twelve minutes later, he completed his hat-trick with another fine strike inside the near post. Inside four minutes Zaragoza even threatened to put up a fight. In the 85th and 89th minute respectively, Adrian Colunga capitalized on careless defending by Barcelona, to temporarily reduce the deficit to one goal, prompting Messi to have another go at Zaragoza’s penalty box, with only a foul stopping him. The penalty was converted by Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a change.

Barcelona went back on level points with Real Madrid. Only two goals separate the two teams. 18 points separate them from Valencia, their nearest rival.

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Category: Spain La Liga