Men’s Player of a Year: a box for Messi
After blank out on being among a final 3 nominees for a 2015/16 prize, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is behind in a using for a UEFA Men’s Player of a Year award.
Messi’s 2016/17 in numbers
Honours: Copa del Rey
Domestic league
Appearances: 34
Goals: 37
Assists: 9
UEFA Champions League
Appearances: 9
Goals: 11
Assists: 2
Season summary
It was another conspicuous deteriorate from Messi, who finished a debate as tip scorer in a Spanish Liga and helped a Catalan giants lift a Copa del Rey.
There was a prevalent bolt of goals – including noted UEFA Champions League hat-tricks opposite Celtic and Manchester City – but 2016/17 will also be remembered as a deteriorate that a Argentinian insincere ever some-more playmaking duties, dropping deeper to lift Barcelona’s strings.
This was clearly illustrated in Messi’s successful purpose in a 6-1 win opposite Paris Saint-Germain in a UEFA Champions League turn of 16 second leg, as good as his man-of-the-match display contra Alavés in a Copa del Rey final.
Messi’s best moments
1) Clásico double during a Bernabéu
The design of Messi station proudly, displaying a name and series on a behind of his shirt to a Santiago Bernabéu crowd, will live prolonged in a memory. With feat compulsory to take Barcelona tip of a Liga forward of Real Madrid, a No10 struck early and afterwards – with 10 seconds left and a scoreline 2-2 – remarkably late, firing past Keylor Navas from a corner of a area. The late leader was Messi’s 500th comparison idea for Barça.
2) Hat-trick opposite Manchester City
Messi’s second UEFA Champions League three-way of a deteriorate came on matchday 3 opposite Man. City. The conductor served notice that he was in a mood on 17 mins when he dull former team-mate Claudio Bravo and finished with aplomb. Two serve goals followed after half-time, with Messi reminding earlier trainer Josep Guardiola of his supernatural talent.
3) Performance opposite Paris Saint-Germain
Sergi Roberto and Neymar might have stolen a present headlines, though Messi was typically shining in orchestrating a biggest UEFA Champions League quip in history. He coolly converted a 50th-minute chastisement to make it 3-0, before holding a captain’s armband in a shutting stages and marshalling his side to a ancestral result.
The box for Messi
Messi shone brightest amid Barcelona’s universe of stars in 2016/17. Restored to his unequaled best, he was 9 goals transparent of a rest as a Liga’s premier marksman (or Pichichi). In fact he averaged over a idea a diversion in both joining and UEFA Champions League and roughly single-handedly led a Blaugrana to Copa del Rey glory.
It is hackneyed to understate his brilliance, though Messi supposed some-more shortcoming than ever for Barcelona final tenure and thrived. While there might have been only one prize to uncover for his efforts, there were large noted moments to supplement to a Messi showreel.