Fifth best in the world? Lionel Messi made a mockery of Ballon dOr ranking with a derby masterclass
If you ever needed proof that individual awards are a waste of time in team sports, then this years Ballon dOr provides the best evidence you’ll need.Lionel Messi is the fifth best player in the world, according to that ranking. Some of those chosen to decide the winner didnt even have him in their top five.Modric claimed the honour of being crowned the best player in the world3
Modric claimed the honour of being crowned the best player in the world
His masterclass that decided the Barcelona derby on Saturday suggested that assessment may just be wide of the mark. It quite literally had everything this was Messi in vintage mode.There was the goal, from a stunning free-kick. The assist, from some incredible work in tight spaces. The second goal, from another equally stunning free-kick. The dribbles, the nutmegs, the work-rate, the intelligence, not to mention the tracking back to defend and win the ball back then initiate moves.Messi was everywhere, and more importantly he was decisive everywhere, too.The exhibition started with 10 minutes played, Messi receiving the ball between the lines on the edge of the box, accelerating in a burst then playing a well-weighted pass to the overlapping Nelson Semedo, whose cutback was only just put out for a corner before it reached a free Arturo Vidal.This was Messi at his exquisite best3
This was Messi at his exquisite best
It was an early warning shot and five minutes later he was at it again.Espanyol, pushing with the confidence of a team that has excelled at the RCDE Stadium for much of this season, lost the ball to the worst player possible with a lack of numbers left at the back. Messi was free, in space, surging down the right towards the box, beating man after man before he was brought down.The subsequent free-kick that broke the deadlock should go down as one of the Argentinians best no small feat considering the variety he has scored.Dipping up and over the wall then curling into the corner well beyond Diego Lopezs reach, it marked his 19th in La Liga against Espanyol, more than any other player in history.Messi stepped and scored a truly beautiful free-kick3
Messi stepped and scored a truly beautiful free-kick
The warm-up was over, and the exhibition just starting.Six minutes later the Rosario native was turning on a sixpence in the box, wriggling away from challenges in signature style, then apparently from one challenge too many, crumbling to the ground. Even from there Messi still managed to keep possession not looking for a foul but instead shielding the ball before returning to an upright position and picking out Ousmane Dembl, the only player in space, all in a blur.The Frenchman cut inside to curl in a wonderful right-footed finish, sprinting away with his supplier, Barcelonas inimitable number 10, who leapt into his arms.A goal and an assist all before the break, and Messi wasnt done.There should have been more before the players went in for half-time; a perfectly weighted first-time ball over the top to Luis Suarez was begging for the right connection, while Messis own header complete with a leap reminiscent of the one in Rome against Manchester United in 2009 hit the post.Messi even claimed a small part in Barcelonas third as a defender of sorts, racing back to win back possession (and a rare smattering of applause from some of Espanyols fans) to start the move that ended with Suarez finally beating Lopez. In the second half the Argentinian continued to toy with his city rivals, constantly looking over his shoulder and drawing a map of the right space to deal damage.As it happened, the right space was from 30 metres out, where his second free-kick sailed into the back of the net in the 65th minute. A different variation with less curl and more power this time, Lopez was again beaten comfortably, Messi scoring two free-kick goals in one La Liga game for the first time ever.As the ball flew past the home keeper silence gripped the RCDE stadium, a number of supporters simply getting up and leaving, resigned. In theory there was plenty of time left for a comeback and tickets arent cheap, but with Messi in this mood they knew there was no way to turn it around. It was by far the best game he has ever played at Espanyols ground.It was almost as if he was particularly motivated.The Ballon dOr may not recognize it, but there is no other player in the world who can dominate in so many different ways in the space of 90 minutes.

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And this was no straightforward game either. The gap between Espanyol and Bara is the shortest for a long time this season, the smaller team from Barcelona sitting second in the table and undefeated at home as recently as the second week of November, playing some excellent attacking football at their ground. On Saturday they approached the derby with ambition and intent, but unfortunately for them, so too did the extra-terrestrial in the Bara number 10 shirt.They can compare Messi with whoever they want, theyre only wasting their time, Spanish football historian Angel Iturriaga concluded. With the level Messi produced on Saturday, it was almost a waste of time trying to stop him.

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