Lionel Messi is young, exciting to watch and a worldwide name and now he’s the first man to score five times in a single Champions League match.
Messi’s five goals came during Barcelona’s 7-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night, allowing Barcelona to advance to the quarterfinals with a 10-2 aggregate win.
After his teams loss Leverkusen coach Robin Dutt said:
“Without Messi, Barca is the best team. And with him, they are in another galaxy.”
Messi racked up his goals in the 25th, 42nd and 49th minutes and then added two more goals in the 58th and 84th minutes. The milestone also marks a first in his professional career.
To put Messi’s achievement into perspective the last time five goals were scored in a European soccer top club competition was in 1979-1980 when Ajax Soran Lerby managed the feat against Omonia in the old Champion Club Cup.
Lionel Messi also became the first player to score four goals two times in the Champions League, his first coming two years ago against Arsenal.
Messi has amassed 48 goals for Barcelona this season, 12 of which occurred in the Champions League. Messi has now amassed 49 career goals in Champions League play, fourth on the European Cup/Champions League career list.
At just 24 years old Messi has amassed 228 goals and is just eight away from taking the record from the club’s career scoring leader Cesar Rodrigueze.
Are you impressed with the ever increasing resume of Lionel Messi that comes on the heels of amazing feats unseen before in European soccer?