10 teams Lionel Messi failed to score against in 2021
2021 has been quite a rollercoaster year for Lionel Messi and his huge fanbase. The unfathomable transfer switch, the most heartbreaking of all time, occurred when FC Barcelona had to let go of their greatest ever player. The Spanish giants could not shoulder the burden of his wages due to their financial constraints.
Paris Saint-Germain, who in contrast to Barcelona do not seem to have any financial troubles, pounced on the opportunity. And before we knew it, Lionel Messi was a Parisian. It was an emotional moment for the player himself, the club and their fans.
Many argued that Joan Laporta and Barcelona could have tried harder to hold on to their superstar. If that was possible for them or not, hopefully we will uncover it someday. But little moments of vulnerability aside, there were enough positives throughout the year for Lionel Messi to cherish.
Lionel Messi won several individual and team accolades in 2021
The Argentina international won his maiden Copa America trophy with the national team after reaching the finals for the fourth time. This was his first major piece of silverware for his country. Earlier in the year, he also helped Barcelona to their Copa del Rey triumph.
In addition to helping his club and country wil silverware, the Argentine remained prolific throughout the year and produced incredible stats. Lionel Messi added to his Ballon d'Or tally with a record-extending seventh honor.
The PSG forward also matched his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo's record of scoring against 38 different teams in the Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi finish 2021 as Juventus and Barcelona's top scorers despite leaving in the summer 🐐 https://t.co/rHv0zzEClI
There are only a few teams that can stop him from getting on the scoresheet. In this calendar year, there were teams which were successful in doing that. In what could be a throwback session of sorts for Barcelona fans, we present the 10 teams that Lionel Messi failed to score against in 2021:
#10 CA Osasuna
Barcelona endured a tough campaign under Ronald Koeman last season but they had their positives in La Liga. The early phase of 2021 was a particularly decent one. Before they faced Osasuna on March 6th, Barcelona were unbeaten in their last 15 games.
The momentum was with the Catalans as Lionel Messi was firing on all cylinders. The forward had scored in each of his last eight La Liga games and the result seemed inevitable in this one. However, the streak broke as he failed to get on the scoresheet.
But this is Lionel Messi we are talking about and he finds one way or the other to impact the game. Just like he always does when not scoring goals, he is busy facilitating them. The Barcelona star assisted both Jordi Alba and Ilaix Moriba's goals. The latter scored his first goal for the club as Barcelona won 2-0 without much hassle.
#9 SD Huesca
Your new year is bound to be a happy one when your favorite footballer gets goals in the very first game of the year. In Lionel Messi's case, that is not even an anomaly given how frequently he finds himself among the goals. However, Huesca ensured that Barcelona had to battle until the last minute to get any points in their first La Liga game of 2021.
The Catalans did eventually run away with all-three points but only by a narrow margin of 1-0. Lionel Messi had only scored one goal in his last four away games and Huesca ensured he could not increase that tally as he visited them. Frenkie de Jong, who contributed with few but important goals, was the match-winner.
Lionel Messi was returning from an ankle injury and had an instant impact with his assist for the Dutchman's goal. It was his fourth assist in La Liga in the 2020-21 campaign in what was the Argentine's 500th La Liga match.
#8 Real Valladolid
The team that stopped Lionel Messi from maintaining his inspirational form, having registered a goal contribution in 14 consecutive La Liga games, was Real Valladolid. This amazing run that started on 19th December, 2020 ended on 5th April, 2021.
Between those two dates, Lionel Messi amassed an incredible 18 goals and eight assists. Despite staying firm throughout the 90 minutes, the Catalans managed to get three points at Camp Nou with a late winner. Few Spanish football fans felt this was a robbery on the visitors who deserved to take something from the game.
🗓️ #OnThisDate in 2020:
Lionel #Messi scores his number 644 goal for #Barcelona during a 3-0 win over Real Valladolid, thus breaking Pele's record for most goals for one club. https://t.co/yRBCx4J9WU
Oscar Plano's red card was deemed a little harsh and there was a contentious penalty claim against Jordi Alba, but the referee favored the Catalan side.