With Opta reporting that Lionel Messi has scored just one of his 48 free-kick attempts, it’s clear that the Barcelona can no longer be considered the best in the world from those dead-ball situations anymore.
Messi’s last came in the 2-1 defeat to Osasuna, which was after the Blaugrana had already lost their footing in the La Liga title race to heated rivals Real Madrid.
Whilst Messi hasn’t quite looked as clinical from free-kicks as of late, this is only a run that has lasted 14 matches – hardly a figure that should be massively concerning considering how hard they are.
1 – Lionel Messi has just scored one out of his last 48 direct free kicks for #FCBarcelona in all competitions (vs Osasuna last July). Mirage#FCB #AtleticoBarca pic.twitter.com/mrFLSzhEcZ
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 21, 2020
With that in mind, who would you say is the best free-kick taker in the world at this moment in time?
Messi’s ability from dead-ball situations has always been closely compared to Cristiano Ronaldo’s – but the Juventus forward also hasn’t looked as sharp in these instances as of late.
Messi’s run from free-kicks shouldn’t be concerning at all when it’s considered by itself, but the fact that the 33-year-old has also struggled to score from open-play this season leaves the Barcelona man with just a trusted run from the penalty spot to rely on.