Barcelona great Lionel Messi (AP Image)
Following the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Messi was asked about the goal that stands out to him. And in response, the former Barcelona man wasted no time referring to a goal against Real Madrid in the 2011 Champions League semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Lionel Messi has gifted countless golden moments to world football during his career spanning nearly two decades. The Argentine superstar has netted a total of 821 goals for both club and country and even for his die-hard fans it would not be easy to choose the best one among them.
But now, Messi has himself picked the favourite goal of his career. After leading Argentina to World Cup glory in December last year, Messi has secured his eighth Ballon d’Or, cementing his status as the greatest of all time.
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Coming out of the Ballon d’Or ceremony on October 30, Messi was asked about the goal that stands out to him. In response, the former Barcelona man wasted no time referring to a goal against Real Madrid in the 2011 Champions League semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Barcelona claimed a 2-0 victory in the away fixture, with Messi scoring a brace. He broke the deadlock in the 76th minute but had yet to dish out something extraordinary. It was the second goal of the chaotic night in Madrid that Messi mentioned.
“Well, I always say that special goals are the important thing. To have scored in the Champions League final, to have scored now in the final of the World Cup. I don’t know, a goal that I always remember and I don’t go much for the goal and for what the goals mean, it’s the goal against Real Madrid, which we beat 2-0 in that Champions League semifinal at the Bernabeu,” Messi said, as quoted by Givemesport.
Barcelona, under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, had the upper hand since the beginning of that El Clasico. After both teams failed to open the scoring in the first 45 minutes, they shifted through the gears in the second half. After conceding the first goal, the Real Madrid defence became more sloppy and Messi took full advantage of it.
What he produced was nothing short of a piece of art. Receiving the ball at the mid-field, Messi ripped through the opposition defence with an exceptional run. He baffled as many as four Real Madrid defenders with magical dribbling before putting the ball into the net past Iker Casillas.
During his time in Spain, Messi represented Barcelona in 47 matches against Real Madrid and scored on 20 occasions. However, in the Champions League meetings with the La Liga rivals, Messi managed to strike the net twice and both goals came in the 2011 semi-final in Madrid.