In his first start since returning from a two-month layoff with a hamstring injury, Lionel Messi scored both goals in Barcelona’s 2-0 Copa del Rey round of 16 second leg win against Getafe. Messi also scored twice during his half-hour appearance in the first leg of the tie, but his final goal to cap off Barca’s 6-0 aggregate win was the most special of them all.
Starting at the halfway line, Messi ran right through Getafe’s entire team, even cruising past the goalkeeper, to add his second goal in the 63rd minute. Despite being outnumbered and tripped along the way, Messi still made it look far too easy. So when he tried to do the same thing again mere seconds later, a desperate Getafe defender resorted to trying to blind him. Because that’s about the only hope one has once beaten by Messi, even when he’s supposed to be easing his way back from injury.
Though Barcelona made easy work of them to advance to the quarterfinals of the King’s Cup, Getafe hasn’t exactly been a pushover (to anyone but Messi) this season. They currently sit 11th in La Liga, packed in with three other clubs on 23 points.
Monday marked the first time in five years that Messi didn’t claim the Ballon d’Or/FIFA World Player of the Year award due his aforementioned injury troubles and a brilliant year from winner and closest adversary Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid. Ballon d’Or or no, as long as Messi is healthy he simply can’t be stopped, though.
