As the ball clipped the underside of the crossbar and hit the back of the Real Betis net, the home supporters at the Benito Villamarn Stadium rose as one to applaud.Some even bowed to acknowledge the maestro, simply a joy to watch when he is in such form.
351 career hattricks for Messi What a way to get it pic.twitter.com/1bIKQukV2i— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) March 17, 201912 years ago at the Camp Nou, as a teenage prodigy the Argentina international scored his first treble. The stage was none other than a potentially La Liga-deciding Clasico, but Messi was as composed as the veteran we see gliding past defenders at will to this very day.Since that day in March 2007, the 31-year-old has returned eight hat-tricks in the UEFA Champions League, 33 in the league, three in the Copa del Rey, one in the Spanish Super Cup and a further six at international level.
3- Messi’s 33 Liga trebles are second only to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 34, so overhauling the Portuguese now plying his trade with Juventus in Serie Ais a realistic ambition for the Blaugrana ace.
- Valencia, Osasuna, Espanyol and Deportivo have been Messi’s favoured opponents in La Liga, the No.10 claiming hat-tricks against each of them on three separate occasions (he has a Copa del Rey treble against Valencia too); Messi also has three hat-tricks against Sevilla, including two in the Liga and one in the Spanish Super Cup, and three against Atltico two Liga and one Copa del Rey.
3- At international level, the most crucial of Messi’s six Argentina hat-tricks came in Ecuador in October 2017, his triple strike securing the Albiceleste a place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
- Messi’s club-mate Surez boasts an outstanding hat-trick return: the Uruguayan plundered nine for Ajax, six for Liverpool (three of them against Norwich) and has 12 for Barcelona as well as a further two for his nation.
- Three other South Americans Sergio Aguero, Edinson Cavani and Radamel Falcao have reached double figures for hat-tricks in recent years, while the relentless Robert Lewandowski leads the European charge.
Manchester United caretaker manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has set a new Premier League record after his side's match with stiff rivals Liverpool ended in a goalless draw. The two teams failed to score at Old Trafford as they lacked any real clear-cut chances during the match.
Solskjaer sets new Man Utd record with sixth straight Premier
Callum Hudson-Odoi remained coy over his chances of starting against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, which is live on talkSPORT. The Chelsea winger scored and played the full
Callum Hudson-Odoi coy on chances of starting Carabao Cup
Former Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov has likened Romelu Lukaku to Barcelona legends Xavi and Andres Iniesta. The striker has started United's last three games due to injuries to Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, and the Belgium striker has taken his chance, scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
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Luiz, Hudson-Odoi and Hazard - Chelsea team news and expected
Retirement bites us all at some point, but for Jonathan Walters, it is "heartbreaking". The former Republic of Ireland forward announced his retirement on Friday, an Achilles injury literally
Jonathan Walters: Burnley and Republic of Ireland forward
Surgeons performed a life-saving operation, but he was still in serious danger. The 27-year-old always wanted a move to La Liga "I still remember lying in that bed," he recalled a few months later. "The only thing I could see were tubes dangling out from me. "My body was broken and I couldn't do anything.
The Villa Times - Issue 7 by Peter Brennan - Issuu
Arsenal manager Unai Emery said Danny Welbeck's injury affected his players as he waits on further news of the player's condition. The forward was stretchered off in the first half during the club's 0-0 draw with Sporting Lisbon and taken to hospital. "This is the worst news tonight," Emery said afterwards. "We think it's serious.
Unai Emery fears 'the worst news' over Danny Welbeck injury
See what elvis (mutelviz) has discovered on Pinterest, the world's biggest collection of ideas.
Cameroon was on Friday stripped of hosting the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations due to delays in preparing for the continental showpiece, organisers the Confederation of African Football announced.
Cameroon Stripped Of Hosting 2019 Africa Cup Of Nations
I should offer apologies for Jim, he's on his holidays, and for Hull Boy, he's on the one road, maybe the wrong road, but he's on the road to god knows where, and he cannot make it back to the Skype in time, so those two would have been joining us. We've got the Celtic Underground top ten.
Manchester United make big call on Marcus Rashford's future
Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani's sports firm, MLS side Atlanta United have denied chasing Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa as they look to appoint a new head coach.
Transfer news and football gossip: Juventus plot £80m Paul
~ Caf Champions League: VAR fiasco sees Esperance handed win as Wydad Casablanca refuse to return to pitch in protest ~ Kenya Latest
Caf Champions League: VAR fiasco sees Esperance handed win as
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