Lionel Messi was handed a two-match ban following his first red card but he scored his 720th goal to help Barcelona to a crucial Copa del Rey win.
Lionel Messi was handed a red card for the first time in his football career and was banned for two games. However, there is a reason why Lionel Messi is considered one of the best in the business. Following his two-match suspension, Lionel Messi came back in grand style and helped Barcelona come from behind to secure a tense 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in the Copa del Rey encounter. Rayo Vallecano had actually taken the lead and Barcelona was under intense pressure for most of the match but it was Lionel Messi who started the turnaround when he scored in the 70th minute. Lionel Messi, who already created a record before the match by making his 76th appearance in the Copa del Rey, then helped Frenkie de Jong to score the winner and help Barcelona reach the last eight.
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has admitted that the team's focus will probably be on the Copa del Rey as they have fallen behind in the La Liga behind Atletico Madrid. Speaking to reporters after the end of the match, Koeman said that the win showed Barcelona's character and stated that the team had let Rayo Vallecano off the hook. But for Lionel Messi, this match was a redemption of sorts after a tough couple of weeks in which he was red-carded against Athletic Bilbao and was also struggling for focus. In the last week, his rival Cristiano Ronaldo officially became the leading goal-scorer in the history of football when Juventus won the Coppa Italia Super Cup title.
Messi's list of records
Recently, Lionel Messi made his 500th appearance for Barcelona in La Liga. This was Messi's 750th appearance for the club across all competitions. The striker achieved the feat in Barcelona's La Liga clash against Huesca, Goal.com reported. Messi had missed Barcelona's 1-1 draw against Eibar, but for this clash, the striker made his way back into Ronald Koeman's side. The 33-year-old was not able to score any goal against Huesca, but he did provide an assist for Frenkie de Jong to help Barcelona clock a 1-0 victory.
Messi is only the second player, and the firstborn outside of Spain, to reach 500 games for Barca. Spain's Xavi holds the record for all-time appearances for Barcelona with 767 games. Xavi's total is 17 more than Messi's current tally of 750, including Sunday's game. The record for the most matches ever played in La Liga is held by former goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, with 662 games under his kitty for Athletic Club, Barca and Valencia.
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 "Lionel Messi")
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