"There is no bigger El Clásico icon than Lionel Messi. In his 17-years at Barcelona, Messi played in as many as 45 El Clásico matches and produced some of the most memorable moments in the history of the storied fixture. Messi scored 26 goals and assisted 14 times in El Clásico and is undoubtedly one of, if not the first name you think of when looking at the biggest game in football."
"Messi had played in two Clásicos previously and made a mark with an assist in a 3-0 win at the Bernabéu on his debut in November 2005. A 2-0 loss in his second outing in this fixture was a harsh reminder of the swings between the two Spanish giants. Messi seemed to take that particular defeat personally though as, aged 19, he scored his first goal in the return fixture in March 2007 after 11 minutes. Having failed to score in his first two Clásicos, he then made up for lost time and quickly added a second and then a third to score his first hat-trick in the fixture in a thrilling 3-3 draw."
"Barcelona had lost 1-0 and 4-1 in the 2007-08 season and Messi had now played in four Clásicos and won just once. Barcelona did beat Madrid 2-0 at Camp Nou in December 2008 with Messi on the scoresheet but it was the return fixture that season that the Argentine really shone through. Gonzalo Higuaín had initially put Madrid 1-0 up at the Bernabéu, before Messi supplied Thierry Henry with an assist for his first goal. Messi then scored himself 10 minutes before half-time and then added Barcelona's fifth goal after 75 minutes as the Catalan giants won 6-2 and effectively sealed the title then and there."
Lionel Messi spent 17 years at Barcelona and featured in 45 El Clásico matches, scoring 26 goals and providing 14 assists. He assisted on his El Clásico debut in a 3-0 win at the Bernabéu in November 2005. After a 2-0 loss in his second outing, he scored his first El Clásico goal in March 2007 after 11 minutes and completed a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Messi scored in a 2-0 Camp Nou victory in December 2008 and played a pivotal role in a 6-2 Bernabéu win by assisting Thierry Henry and adding goals.
Read at ESPN.com
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