Messi Scores Late to Lead Barcelona Past Atletico Madrid

Lionel Messi with Barcelona in 2019
Lionel Messi with Barcelona in 2019. Photo by Bagu Blanco/BPI/REX/Shutterstock (10209048s)

After nearly an hour and a half of scoreless soccer at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday night, it looked as if Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were set to draw without goals and each walk away from the match without a point.

That was, however, until Lionel Messi decided to show up.

Messi scored a brilliant goal in the 86th minute of Sunday night’s match to lead Barcelona past Atletico Madrid and into first place in La Liga.

Both teams had multiple chances to score throughout the match until Messi’s game-deciding strike. A lack of precision and saves from Jan Oblak and Marc-Andre ter Stegen frustrated both teams’ offenses throughout the majority of the match.

Things, however, changed when an inspired moment of brilliance from Messi turned the tables.

After Frenkie de Jong started charging up the pitch, he passed the ball to Messi on the right flank just as they entered Colchonero territory. Messi started a mad dash towards the box, dropping off the ball to striker Luis Suarez before looping around Atletico defenders to get to the left side of the box.

Suarez then found Messi with a short, quick pass that the Argentinian forward launched past Oblak, who could do nothing to stop his strong and precise strike.

Barcelona held on in the final five minutes to earn a 0-1 win, moving to first place in the league with a total of 31 points.

Harley loves music and tries to go to a music festival every summer. When he's not listening to music, he writes about movies, food and wine, art, and sport.