Lionel Messi celebrated the 10th anniversary of his Barcelona debut with a brilliant goal, as Barcelona maintained their four point lead over rivals Real Madrid ahead of next week's Clasico.
Messi inched closer to breaking Telmo Zarra's all-time La Liga scoring record, notching his 250th goal, leaving him one strike behind the Athletic Bilbao legend. He could now write history against Real Madrid next Saturday, quite probably aided by the return of Luis Suarez from suspension.
Messi was instrumental in this win over Eibar, which saw Barcelona keep their eighth clean sheet in eight games, Claudio Bravo extending his own record to 720 minutes unbeaten—although Eibar deserved to be ahead at half-time.
On Thursday, a decade after he first appeared in a Barcelona shirt, he thanked everyone at the club and the supporters in an emotional message, and pledged to continue in the same vein. He did just that, here.
Luis Enrique likes to his shuffle his pack at the best of times and with two huge games coming up, he made changes. Barcelona host Ajax on Tuesday, an important Champions League clash after their defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, before heading to the Santiago Bernabeu to play arch-rivals Real Madrid on Saturday.
Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic, mainstays in midfield, were rested completely. It meant that Javier Mascherano could play in his favoured defensive midfield position, where he performed so stoically for Argentina during the World Cup, and youngster Sergi Roberto was also afforded his first start of the season. Completing the trio was veteran Xavi, another player who has had limited game-time under the Asturian coach.
This match was a potential banana skin for Barcelona. Eibar, minnows from the Basque Country in La Liga for the first time, have started the season well, out-performing much bigger local rivals Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad. With important games ahead, perhaps Barcelona's eye could have slipped off the ball.
It seemed like that was the case in the first half. The crowd were expecting a goal feast but none were forthcoming, with Eibar making the best two chances of the game.
After 20 minutes Neymar cut in superbly from the left and fed Messi, who took the ball into the box. Four defenders swarmed around him and one eventually lurched in to slide the ball clear. The Argentine should have opened the scoring a minute later, receiving Dani Alves’ low pass but seeing his shot from close range turned behind by goalkeeper Xabi Irureta.
They didn’t have to wait too long for their team to open the scoring though. Although the focus was on Messi trying to score the three goals he needs to overtake Zarra, he was happy to turn provider.
Messi’s played in a slightly more withdrawn role this season and it worked to good effect here, with Xavi feeding him and then darting into the box. Messi waited before slipping in the veteran midfielder, who clipped the ball home comfortably.
And then it was two, with a Brazilian connection. Xavi played in Alves, whose cross was volleyed home into the bottom right corner, by Neymar. The forward has really come to life this season after a mixed start to his Barcelona career.
He turned provider for the third, which was brilliantly taken by Messi. The man they call ‘La Pulga’, the flea, buzzed away from his marker in midfield, found Neymar and then fired the return ball into the far corner from a tight angle. It was typical of so many of the goals that he has put away in this grand arena.
He should have scored again at the death to match Zarra’s record, heading straight at Irureta when chipped through by Andres Iniesta.
But Messi now just needs two goals to become the greatest goalscorer in Spanish football
history and, with his pedigree, you wouldn’t bet against both of them coming next Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu. After all, he is the man for the big occasion, and has scored more goals against Real Madrid than any other side. Carlo Ancelotti, Cristiano Ronaldo, beware.
