Barcelona may not be able to preserve the La Liga title this
season, but its star Lionel will keep a happy memory of an
exceptional season packed with problems and his most famous
vacation in the Coruna virus.
And Saturday, Messi entered the records encyclopedia again
after he became the first player in the history of La Liga to score
20 goals, and pass the same number of assists in one season,
meaning that he contributed directly to 40 goals so far, and two
games before the end of the season.
With a glimpse of his famous glimpses, Messi led Barcelona
to a 1-0 win away to Real Valladolid, so that the Catalan team
could continue to chase the rivals Real Madrid, the leaders
of the League.
Chilean Arturo Vidal scored the game’s only goal in the 15th
minute after he fired a low shot from inside the area after
a superb pass by Messi, who passed 20 assists this season,
along with scoring 22 goals.
Messi, 33, is the first player to reach 20 assists in the Spanish
League since his former teammate Xavi Hernandez in
the 2008-2009 season, with no player combining this
achievement with scoring 20 or more goals in the same season
of the Spanish League that started in 1929.
Barcelona, second-placed, has 79 points from 36 games,
one point behind leaders Real Madrid, who will regain the four-
point difference if they beat Granada on Monday.
If Real Madrid beat Granada and then beat Villarreal on
Thursday, it will crown the La Liga title for the first time
since 2017.
Messi has entered into several problems with the Barcelona
administration this season, most notably with the sports director
and president of the club, while reports spread a few days ago
that he had suspended negotiations to renew his contract,
and claimed his desire to leave “Camp Nou” after nearly
20 years of coming to Barcelona, young from Argentina.
