Leo Messi - TheLegend
Lionel Messi was the history-making hero, becoming the first player to score five times in one Champions League match.
Barcelona had 3-1 advantage before the game so they were calm and everybody knew it wouldn’t be a tough game for them. Nobody also expected that Barca was going to win with such a humiliation.
In the first half Lionel Messi managed to score twice, both of them excellent goals. One assist from Xavi and another from Fabregas. As the teams went on break, everybody knew that Barcelona was qualified for the next round and nobody expected 5 more goals in the second half.
But Messi wasn’t going to stop. In the second half he scored another goal and when the score was 3-0 Guardiola made substitions – Tello and Keita in, Xavi and Iniesta out. Tellos second touch to the ball ended with another great goal from Barca. Later same Tello managed to score double in his debut match in Champions League but before than Messi scored his poker on 58th minute. It was his third poker in his career but who could imagine that he wouldn’t stop?
At the end of the match, on 85th minute the Argentinian scored his 5 goal – which is called “Repoker”. He is now the only player to have scored 5 goals in a single Champions League Match. Besides he already has 12 goals in this seasons 7 match in Ch. League and if he scores one more goal in this competition he will have another record (nobody has scored more than 12 goals in one Champions League season).
After the match everybody was excited, many famous people Tweeted and Commented about Messi – here are some:
Owen (ManUtd): “Not old enough to see some of the greats but can’t believe anyone can have played the game of football as well as Messi.”
Dutt (coach Leverkusen): “Who has played football, knows there are no words for Messi. He’s at his own level.”
“Without Messi, Barcelona are still the best team in the world. But with him, they’re from another galaxy”
John Heitinga (Everton): “Mejores jugador del Mundo Messi! Best player in the World!
Guardiola: “We’re lucky to have Messi. It’s not easy to score 5 goals in a game. I can know, I scored 11 in my whole career.”
“Messi is the best, there’s no one else, he’s unique. I will always be able to say I’ve been his coach.
“We can try to make sure the ball gets to Messi. From then on, we can’t do anything, just sit back and watch.”
“Only Messi will decide when he’ll leave the throne.”
“Messi is among the greatest. Di Stefano, Cruyff, Maradona… And I add Pele, otherwise he’ll be angry.”
Gary Lineker (ex-player): “Fella’s a genius! Best ever by a distance in my life time! Never really saw Pele […] Wait til he grows up!”
Demba Ba (Newcastle United): “Is messi a human beeing?????”
Rio Ferdinand (Man United): “Messi doesn’t look interested tonight….!!”
Valdes: “I’ll be able to tell my grandchildren I’ve suffered messi, but only on training (laughs).”
Maxi Rodriguez (Liverpool): “There is no doubt, you’re from another galaxy. Thanks Leo”
Bar Refaeli (model): “at this point i’m starting to strongly believe that Messi is related to clark kent.”
Wayne Rooney (Man United): “Messi is a joke. For me the best ever.”
Some stats now:
Lionel Messi has scored 33 goals in his last 30 starts in the Champions league
Messi is the first player ever to score 3 hat-tricks in the knock-out stage of the Champions league
Messi has now scored 15 goals in 10 international games for Barcelona this season 54 goals in 69 games in total
The last player before Messi to score 5 goals in a European Cup/CL game was Soren Lerby (Ajax) in 1979
Lionel Messi has scored 13 goals in his last 4 official games Valencia 4, Atletico 1, Switzerland 3, Leverkusen 5
Against Leverkusen, Messi scored 5 goals from 7 shots (6 on target)
Messi got a “10” from French paper L’Equipe for yesterday’s game. He’s the first player ever to get two times a “10”
Messi scored 30 goals in his last 25 Champions League games 23 starts, 7 assists
Watch the Match Highlights on Barcelona – Bayer Leverkusen 7-1
