Lionel Messi’s performance against Espanyol on Saturday has captured all the headlines, but it’s worth looking at his free-kick record in a bit more detail.
His two brilliant strikes against Espanyol mean he’s now scored more goals from direct free-kicks in the last four years than entire teams.
And not just any old teams either. We are talking European heavyweights, we’re talking Juventus, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Chelsea and more:
Goals scored from direct free kicks in last 4 years from the top 5 leagues:
19 - Lionel Messi
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