'The internet never forgets,' they say and, on Saturday, the memories of football fans were successfully jogged following a moment of genius by Barcelona's Lionel Messi. Just a day after his incredible solo-goal against Getafe in 2006/07 was named as the best in the history of his club, the 31-year-old Argentine gave fans enough to possibly reconsider their choice with yet another magnificent finish against Espanyol.
With Barcelona needing a goal after failing to break down the defense of their fellow Catalans in the first half, a deadball situation resulted in Lionel Messi producing a stunning opener in the 71st minute. Unlike his usual whipping free kick method, the Blaugrana skipper dipped into his bag of techniques to lift a 'Panenka free kick' over the opponent wall.
Although the ball was already on its way to possibly beat Diego Lopez in post, a slight deflection off Espanyol skipper Victor Sanchez sent the shot-stopper the wrong way. Check the goal below:
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— Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) March 30, 2019
Lionel Messi was at it again today...
Goal 1) Audacious free-kick
Goal 2) Dictionary definition of a Barcelona goal
That's now EIGHT (8) seasons Lionel Messi has scored 30 or more #LaLiga goals pic.twitter.com/AU7QdUXSKh
Justifiably so, the Barca No. 10's feat attracted plaudits and aroused euphoria across social media. However, a retro footage that has resurfaced on the internet indicates that Lionel Messi's effort may only be a refined replica of one produced by his compatriot Nico Gaitan five years ago.
In the 2013/2014 season, the Argentine attacker opened the scoring for Benfica in a 3:0 win over PAOK in the Europa League by scoring a Panenka free kick from 18 yards.
Watch the cheeky strike below:
With both goals posing to be extremely remarkable, it is quite hard to pinpoint whose should rank as the best. Be the judge!