Lionel Messi made his long-awaited return to the Barcelona starting lineup today at the expense of Roma’s Champions League hopes and dreams. And he didn’t just feature in the starting 11, he scored an absolute screamer of a goal. Then, he scored another.
The Argentine chipped poor Wojciech Szczesny from close range to give Barça a 2-0 lead. It was his 78th goal in UCL action, a result of sublime tikitaka between the azulgrana’s attacking trident. This outrageous passing sequence led to his cheeky finish:
Lucho was naturally as smug as ever watching his offense ignite.
And Barça fans everywhere rejoiced.
Messi also assisted Piqué, who put Barcelona up 4-0 in the 55th. Then, he scored again. Damn.
Finally, Barcelona beat Roma 6-1.
According to MisterChip, Barcelona surpassed Real Madrid as the team with the most goals in European competitions with Messi’s second stroke of magic. He, Neymar, and Suárez have also combined for 121 goals in 2015, more than Real Madrid’s ENTIRE roster (106).
Opponents, be wary. Leo is back. Real Sociedad, you’re up next.