Lionel Messi managed to score a hat trick (3 goals) in Barcelona’s 7-0 win over Osasuna this Sunday afternoon, bringing his tally of goals in all competitions, including friendly matches, to 371 goals. He passed the 87-year-old record that was held by Paulinho Alcantara, who scored 369 goals in 357 total matches for the club between the years 1912 and 1927. Messi added to his record-breaking career, with more records that he’s on pace to break within the next 2 months. The next one being the scoring record in “El Clasico”, held by Alfredo di Stefano with 19 goals, and the Argentinean, with 18 goals, can tie, possibly break the record next Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu, home stadium of Real Madrid. Another conquest that Messi is making is the all-time leading goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League. With 67 goals in the competition, Messi seeks to break the 71-goal record held by Raul Gonzalez.
Aside from the illustrious career of the Argentine, him and his teammates made a crucial statement with a 7-0 home win today, a week before the pivotal fixture versus Real Madrid, “El Clasico”, a rivalry that runs deeper than any other. This rivalry is only made more interesting as Messi will face Cristiano Ronaldo, a rivalry between two players who are seen as the best at what they do. As it stands in La Liga, Real Madrid are 4 points above Barcelona. Next weekend’s game could see that gap lengthened or cut very close. Even with many points left to play for after next week’s game, this could still be a turning point in the tale of the 3 team race for the La Liga crown, with Atletico Madrid nipping at the heels of their cross-town rivals Real Madrid.