5 players who received most number of assists from Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is arguably one of the greatest players to grace the beautiful game. His technique, poise, skill and understanding of the game benefitted Barcelona for the longest time and is now proving to be vital for Paris Saint-Germain. However, it has often been believed that he is just another attacker that scores a ton of goals. In doing so, his creative side is often overlooked.
Lionel Messi is arguably the most creative player of the 21st century
Messi came into the limelight of world football in late 2000s, following the appointment of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona. The Spanish manager made the best use of the Argentinian superstar and often utilized him as a false No 9.
This enabled the PSG maestro to provide for his team through goals and assists. As the years went by, Messi drifted into a deeper role and started playing behind the centre-forward.
This turned him into an excellent playmaker, thereby influencing the entire attacking phase of his team. But there have been particular players along the way that have benefitted more than most from the 34-year-old’s keen eye for a pass.
Lionel Messi holds the following La Liga records:
Most goals (474)
Most goals in a season (50)
Most direct free kick goals (50)
Most assists (217)
Most assists in a season (22)
Most hat tricks (36)
Most hat tricks in a season (8) https://t.co/vztBMBfEX8
Today, let us take a look at the top five players who have received the most assists from Lionel Messi:
#5 David Villa - 12
The former Spain international joined the Blaugrana after leading his nation to glory at the 2010 World Cup. David Villa massively impressed at Valencia and was primed to lead the line at Barcelona.
The striker was shifted out to the left-wing by Pep Guardiola to accommodate Messi into the centre-forward position. Many believed that this would hamper the progress of Villa, but they were proved wrong.
David Villa on playing for Barcelona:
🗣 "It was a great time in my career, playing with the best players in the world, in the best team in the world.
"I can always say to anyone that I played at Barcelona with Messi, with Xavi, with Iniesta. And we won a lot of trophies." https://t.co/B1W1IoJ8dP
The attacking duo combined brilliantly as the Spaniard scored 48 goals in 119 appearances for the five-time European champions. However, a lot of his success in front of the goal came due to Messi, who had a hand in 25 per cent (12) of the goals scored by the centre-forward.
This made the pair one of the most threatening attacking partnerships during their three-year stint together. Their performances in the 2010-11 Champions League-winning season, in particular, were eye-catching.
Villa retired in 2019 and hailed Messi as the greatest in the game:
"Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, and Barcelona owe their success to his evolution.”
#4 Samuel Eto’o - 15
The Cameroonian is the only player on the list who was a bigger star than Lionel Messi when he arrived at the club. A true journeyman in the sport, Samuel Eto’o joined Barcelona in 2004 after producing good displays for RCD Mallorca.
The striker took some time to settle into the club, but it is no surprise that he found his feet in the second season – the same time when Messi was promoted into the first-team setup.
Barcelona legend Samuel Eto'o names the player who can "take over" from Lionel Messi
mirror.co.uk/sport/football… https://t.co/C1DxENwmSz
Over the next couple of years, Messi started playing on the right-wing, and his dazzling performances massively helped Eto’o be amongst the goals on a consistent basis.
Although the pair formed a solid understanding towards the end of the Eto'o's tenure at the club, Messi still managed to play a part in 15 of his goals.
A couple of months ago, Eto’o heaped praise on his former teammate during an interview with Spanish publication Marca.
“The passing of time changes us all; the difference is that it has improved Messi. I love him, I have not seen anyone like him. For this [reason], I always say that he is the best in history.”