Barcelona striker Lionel Messi spent 15 years showing the incredible qualities he possesses, yet he finds new ways to astonish people. His appearance at the Benito Villamarin stadium against Real Betis on Sunday evening was extraordinary and after completing the shirt with a parabola on Pau Lopez from the corner of the penalty area, the Argentine got applause from the entire stadium.
It does not sound like a special thing to say that Messi scored a trick because he has recorded 51 of his professional career. Part of what made his special trick to Betis was, however, the way he scored each goal differently, which indicates the capability of the Barcelona captain.
His first goal of the evening came from free kick. A few meters above the 16-meter high, Messi sent the ball to the left corner of the goal, though Lopez was standing on that side. The attacking force made it almost impossible for the goalkeeper to defend him.
The second goal was more goals scored by a typical striker. Messi ran to the area shortly after Barça won the ball in the Betis field and Luis Suarez found the number 10 of the Catalans with a superposition of heels, then Messi defeated Lopez by sending the ball to the net with the outs left, though under great pressure from Willuam Carvalhom Aissa Mandi and Sidney.
Messi’s third goal was beauty himself. The 31-year-old Argentine paraboloi Lopez from his 16-meter high, with the ball touching the transverse pillar before joining the net. The cameras are captured by Lopez’s reaction, who could not believe what had happened to him. “What a bitch”, it is believed to have told the Spaniard.
With those three goals on Sunday, Messi now has 29 goals this season in La Liga, 11 more than Luis Suarez in second place.