The Lionel Messi Appreciation Thread & Fan Club III

[Harmonica]

Passing masterclass against Deportivo.

[Harmonica]

Passing masterclass against Sporting.

[Harmonica]

Passing masterclass against Betis.

[Harmonica]

Top 5 most through balls 15-16 in Top 5 leagues

31 Messi (+72%)
18 Di Maria
17 Fabregas
14 Özil
13 Nolito

Most through balls 09-16 in Top 5 leagues + cl (not all players sourced)

268 Messi (+40%)
191 Fabregas
170 Totti
146 Xavi (09-15)
137 Iniesta
114 Zlatan
113 Di Maria (10-16)
100 Özil

[Harmonica]

Most direct free-kick goals 15-16 (all competitions):

7 Messi
7 Pjanic
6 Willian
3 ...

[Valkyrja]

My favorite

Spoiler:

[Harmonica]

Passing master class against Espanyol.

[Kick]

My favorite
[Video of Messi missing some FK deleted]

As this is an appreciation thread, there is no need for this.

I am going to give you a warning here, if you slip up again, you'll get a ban.

[Kebab]

Heir to Beckham.Most accurate long passer in the game today. and heir to Xavi at through balls
Can play until 35 just using his passes

[Harmonica]

Messi passed Xavi on that department about 5 years ago.

Top 5 leagues and Uefa Champions League (Opta, since 2009)

Top 5 most goals

64 Messi 11-12
58 Cronaldo 14-15
56 Cronaldo 11-12
54 Messi 12-13
53 Messi 14-15

Top 5 most assists

23 Messi 14-15
23 Özil 10-11
21 Messi 10-11
21 Messi 11-12
21 Fabregas 14-15

Top 5 most successful dribbles

267 Messi 14-15
264 Messi 10-11
233 Hazard 14-15
222 Messi 11-12
201 Messi 09-10

Top 5 most successful through balls

71 Messi 11-12
52 Xavi 09-10
52 Ronaldinho 09-10
48 Messi 14-15
48 Totti 12-13

[Harmonica]

Surpassing Cronaldo's best (6 in 09-10) Messi has now scored 7 direct freekicks with Barcelona 15-16.

Messi: "I've been doing extra free-kick training for a while now. I'm practising every time I can."

[Kebab]

his lob passes through passes chip goals have perfect accuracy. If you can do those things then free kick should not be a problem

[McAgger]

Every keeper is getting beat the near post there. Like wtf brev, have you not watched Messi do that before. They should literally start moving towards that side when Messi starts his run up.

[Harmonica]

Every keeper is getting beat the near post there. Like wtf brev, have you not watched Messi do that before. They should literally start moving towards that side when Messi starts his run up.

There's no "near post" in freekicks, there's wall side and goalie side, both handle one side. The purpose of wall is to discourage shot in that side, and make it so difficult pace wise that goalie can get there. Messi just has superb technique so he can beat the wall with pace enough. And the second and second to last are actually to goalie sides, and as you see goalies guess and start to go to wall side early, but can't react fast enough when it comes to goalie side with super shot. So there's the explanation and reason why goalies don't always do that, it's a guess game.

[Harmonica]

Messi ties Pele at age 28.

Most competitive team titles (no fixed or invitational)

34 D.Alves
34 Giggs
32 Iniesta
31 Eusebio
29 Messi
29 Pele
...
23 Cruyff
22 Di Stefano
21 Beckenbauer
17 Ronaldo
16 C.Ronaldo
15 Zidane
12 Maradona

[Harmonica]

Yet another passing master class.

[Harmonica]

La Liga 15-16 behind/tie/go-ahead goals + assists, dribbles + through balls

Messi 13+7, 116+33
Neymar 9+2, 143+10
Suarez 12+7, 42+4
Cronaldo 11+2, 50+0

[Lucifer]

Cronaldo has 0 through balls what crap stat for players that plays on wings. Also Suarez has only 4 through balls what a scrub how can no. 9 have only 4 through balls when his main function is to collect ball from midfield and feed others. Pathetic players if u ask me.

[Harmonica]

Top 5 most through balls 15-16 in Top 5 leagues

33 Messi (+65%)
20 Di Maria
18 Özil
15 Fabregas
15 Nolito

Most through balls 09-16 in Top 5 leagues + cl (not all players sourced)

270 Messi (+43%)
189 Fabregas
170 Totti
146 Xavi (09-15)
138 Iniesta
115 Di Maria (10-16)
115 Zlatan
101 Özil

[Harmonica]

National Team Career

Messi @28

WC14 runner-up, Golden Ball
CA07 runner-up, Top 3 (MVP shortlist)
CA15 runner-up, MVP
OL08 champion, (no individual awards, involved 9/9 goals on the field)
WC05u20 champion, Golden Ball
Involved in 42/57 team goals

Xaviestavilla

WC10 champion, Villa Bronze Ball
EU08 champion, Xavi Best Player
EU12 champion, Iniesta Best Player
OL00 runner-up, (no individual awards, Xavi involved 4/12 goals on the field)
WC03u20 runner-up, -
Involved collectively 33/52 team goals

[Harmonica]

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpmtk6_lionel-messi-vs-chelsea-2006_sport

18 year old Messi on a potato field against Mourinho's Chelsea, team that still holds the point record of Premier League and was 49 games undefeated at home.

Goosebumps.

Barcelona was lucky they faced easily the toughest team in CL that season when Messi was still fit.

[Harmonica]

League quality index (relation to Uefa coefficient)

Messi 6 titles in 8 seasons (08-16)

1.00 Spain (154596) (+0.17)
0.83 England (127569)
0.82 Germany (126613)
0.70 Italy (108813)

Maradona 2 titles in 6 seasons (84-90)

1.00 Italy (54212) (+0.03)
0.97 Germany (52593)
0.86 Spain (46499)
0.75 Belgium (40633)

Cruyff 5 titles in 7 seasons (66-73)

1.00 England (72231)
0.80 Italy (57593)
0.73 Hungary (52499)
0.69 Scotland (49599)
0.67 Germany (48592)
0.67 Netherlands (48200) (-0.33)

[Harmonica]

http://www.football-observatory.com/-Rankings-

Best Players Of 15-16



squawka.com

Best Players Top 5 Leagues



whoscored.com

[Valkyrja]

Acerbi

[Harmonica]

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