Viewers of the meeting between Real Betis and Barcelona have flooded to social media this evening, to wax lyrical about Lionel Messi.
Betis vs Barca
Barcelona travelled to the Benito Villamarín Stadium a short time ago, for a La Liga matchup.
The Blaugrana headed into proceedings aware that a victory would see them open up a hefty 10-point lead atop the Spanish top-flight table, after Atletico Madrid followed their Champions League elimination during the week with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Athletic Bilbao last night.
Ernesto Valverde’s Barca, on the other hand, secured their qualification to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 5-1 thumping of Lyon at the Camp Nou in their last outing, making it 5 wins from their last 5 fixtures across all competitions.
Messi steals the show
And the stellar recent form of the Spanish champions continued tonight, as Barcelona brushed Betis aside by 4 goals to 1.
Lionel Messi opened the game’s scoring with 18 minutes on the clock, bending home a sumptuous free-kick from the edge of the box:
| GOAL! |
Lionel Messi opens the scoring for Barcelona!
What a hit 🎯#LaLiga pic.twitter.com/T5Zzn18BYD
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) March 17, 2019
And the Argentinian magician was back at it again on the stroke of half-time, latching onto a perfectly-weighted reverse pass from Luis Suarez to smash home in typically-clinical fashion:
| GOAL! |
Messi scores his second!
That Suarez assist… 😍#LaLiga pic.twitter.com/zluQ2IqJj8
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) March 17, 2019
Suarez then turned goalscorer just past the hour-mark, embarking on a stunning jinking run before slotting home the visitors’ 3rd of the night:
| GOAL! |
Luis Suarez picked up the ball in his own half, and went all the way!
Take a bow 👏 pic.twitter.com/z9nAPF1h5i
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) March 17, 2019
Betis did manage to pull one back ten minutes from time through Loren Moron, but it proved little more than a consolation, as Lionel Messi went on to seal his hat-trick with a frankly-ridiculous chipped finish:
| GOAL! |
MESSI HAS HIS HAT-TRICK 👽
That finish is ridiculous, superlatives will never do this man justice. pic.twitter.com/oiuUTuESf5
— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) March 17, 2019
‘The best there is. The best there was. The best there ever will be.’
So incredible was Barcelona’s talisman at the Benito Villamarín this evening, that his 3rd of the night actually saw the home crowd provide a standing ovation for the 31-year-old, amid deafening chants of ‘Messi, Messi, Messi’.
And the Betis faithful were far from the only ones to have been mesmerised by what they witnessed from Messi tonight, with fans, pundits and everyone in between having since taken to Twitter in their absolute droves to pay tribute to the greatest player on the planet:
And the @RealBetis fans have given him an ovation and have chanted ‘Messi, Messi, Messi’
Barcelona playing away
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) March 17, 2019
🎯 Worldie free kick for his first…
⚽️ Scores his brace…
🎩 Completes hattrick with a chip on the edge of 18 yard box…
🗣 Betis fans stand up and applaud, chanting “Messi, Messi, Messi”…
✅ @FCBarcelona complete 1-4 victory away from home…
🙏 We are not worthy. pic.twitter.com/oNdO270Orl
— SPORF (@Sporf) March 17, 2019
Lionel Messi is the best on the planet right now and the best of all time. End.
— CPFC HQ (@CPFCHQ) March 17, 2019
Messi taking football to new levels. Every time we think he can’t possibly get better, he gets better.
— Andy West (@andywest01) March 17, 2019
‘When Messi is in this form, what the heck can you do? He’s the best player in the world’. pic.twitter.com/OhmQQdLOHp
— totalBarça (@totalBarca) March 17, 2019
I’m running out of words for Leo Messi. It’s just not fair. The things he’s capable of. I just don’t get it. He can’t be human. We’re not worthy. The best there is. The best there was. The best there ever will be.
🐐
— aqua nigga (@lebzygold) March 17, 2019
Lionel Messi overtakes Xavi for most wins in Barcelona history. His legend grows. pic.twitter.com/apGNdKkLCd
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 17, 2019
‘Still speechless’
Direct free-kick goals in the last 8 seasons in La Liga:
Lionel Messi: 25
Real Madrid: 24 pic.twitter.com/Q8m1ctCrfs
— 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) March 17, 2019
Full-time.
4-1.
I’m still speechless.
Lionel Messi.
— totalBarça (@totalBarca) March 17, 2019
Combined goals and assists this season:
⚽🎯 Lionel Messi: 60 (39 ⚽ + 21👟)
⚽🎯 Kylian Mbappe: 38
⚽🎯 Cristiano Ronaldo: 36
⚽🎯 Raheem Sterling: 35
⚽🎯 Karim Benzema: 30
⚽🎯 Mo Salah: 29The greatest footballer ever pic.twitter.com/BoOzslBrtK
— Messi World (@MessiWorId) March 17, 2019
Player ratings. Another 10 out of 10 performance from the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi. [sofascore] pic.twitter.com/Ivr3SxV4Ek
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 17, 2019
Real Betis goalkeeper reaction after Messi’s wonder goal to complete his hattrick pic.twitter.com/yNw30kIffY
— Messi World (@MessiWorId) March 17, 2019
Live scenes of Lionel #Messi 🐐 pic.twitter.com/5O7m1x6GlI
— ShotOnGoal (@shotongoal247) March 17, 2019
If you still don’t think Messi is the best ever you’re just an idiot. No way around it
— Cheesy (@Dutch_Shaffer) March 17, 2019
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