The team was not functioning at its best, but he remained remarkable. He scored 28 goals in 29 games, including two in a man-of-the-match performance to win the Copa del Rey in April. His form for Barcelona during the first half of the year should not be forgotten. As his pace deserts him, other qualities have come to the fore. The transfer itself was not as surprising as the fact that he left Barcelona after almost two decades of association with the club. They were among his 15 goals scored from outside the penalty box in 2021. Lionel Messi joined France's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the summer transfer window and it was a shocking move for fans as well as football enthusiasts. That free-kick was one of two scored by Messi at the Copa - more than were scored by everyone at Euro 2020 combined. Against Ecuador in the quarter-final, he cleverly set up each of the first two goals before scoring the third himself. He was the Copa America top scorer with four goals but also registered the most assists - five of them. But it was his inability to inspire the senior side to go all the way at a tournament that was so frequently held against him. Yes, he had an Olympic gold medal already. This was the year that Lionel Messi finally won a major international trophy for Argentina.

But Silva somehow scooped the ball onto the bar with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma beaten.ĭonnarumma and opposite number Ederson then made a smart save each in an even first half that De Bruyne was perhaps lucky to finish, receiving only a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Gueye's shin.Image: Messi had another record-breaking 12 months for club and country Raheem Sterling's header from Kevin De Bruyne's cross hit the crossbar and the ball fell to winger Bernardo Silva less than two meters out. He thumped the ball into the top corner after Neymar's scuffed shot fell to him just inside the penalty area following Mbappe's cross from the right.Ĭity should have equalised in the 26th, but instead produced a contender for miss of the season. PSG started its dream attack of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe, but it was unheralded midfielder Idrissa Gueye who opened the scoring in the eighth minute. The pair won the Champions League in 20, with the six-time Ballon d'Or winner scoring in both finals.Ĭity had not lost in its five previous meetings with PSG, winning 2-1 in Paris and 2-0 at home in last season's semifinals before losing to Chelsea in the final. It was the kind he scored for fun playing under Guardiola there. Messi netted an astounding 672 goals for Barcelona but fans have been patiently awaiting his first for PSG.

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