Lionel Messi’s Hat-trick Double

By: Jan | March 21st, 2010

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.

	Soccer Forums	Team/International Results

Category: Spain La Liga

Tags: FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Spain La Liga

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• Jorid |  March 21st, 2010 at 10:50 pm

  
  
  

  I’m going to get a lot of heat for this, but by the time Lionel Messi will retire, he will have become the best player of all time. He’s just simply not human.

  P.S: No, I’m not a Barca fan.

  Posted from United States

  

• JC |  March 21st, 2010 at 11:46 pm

  
  
  

  Jorid, I kind off agree with you. But IMO he has peaked to early. In a cpl of years he will lose his pace, it will be interesting to see how he plays then.

  Posted from United Arab Emirates

  

• Daryl |  March 22nd, 2010 at 7:30 am

  
  
  

  JC, I’m not sure he’s going to slow down any time soon. He’s only 22, so unless he has some Michael Owen style injuries he should be plenty quick enough for a good few years yet.

  Posted from United States

  

• Mat |  March 22nd, 2010 at 7:46 am

  
  
  

  All I could think yesterday while leaving work time and again when Messi made plays was: My God I am blessed that I get to watch a player of this quality play the beautiful game

  Posted from United States

  

• Rami |  March 22nd, 2010 at 8:28 am

  
  
  

  What he did yesterday was not human.

  Posted from United States

  

• alessio |  March 22nd, 2010 at 9:08 am

  
  
  

  Jorid, that all depends on if Argentina wins anything when he’s around.

  Posted from United States

  

• penny |  March 22nd, 2010 at 11:38 am

  
  
  

  Messi is so very very quick, that defenders can’t stop him when he is running the pace and leaving them behind him. He’s Simply THE BEST. Well, I truely hope Argentina wins the World Cup. You know, by then it will be anoyher playtime for the guys.

  Posted from United States

  

• Michael |  March 22nd, 2010 at 9:36 pm

  
  
  

  this kid is simply otherworldly

  Posted from United States

  

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