Lionel Messi punished Granada for conceding a free-kick in the 41st minute of tonight’s La Liga encounter after a push on starlet Pedri right on the edge of the box.
Messi stepped up, facing a Granada side that had all 10 of their outfielders in the box – nine of which were in a wall alongside two Barcelona players – and still scored.
It looked as though Granada had prevented the opportunity of a low strike making its way through, as one player lied down in the wall, but Messi just went the other side and drilled the ball through a gap that promising young defender Oscar Mingueza helped to create in the wall.
This marks the all-time great’s second goal of the night, with Messi hitting the target seven minutes earlier thanks to a brilliant run from Antoine Griezmann that left Granada quaking in their boots.
More MAGIC from Messi! ?
Granada were preparing for the free kick to go under the wall, so Messi went low into the other corner instead ? pic.twitter.com/trTUi3ElhA
— Premier Sports ? (@PremierSportsTV) January 9, 2021
Pictures from Premier Sports and Eleven Sports.
Messi has well and truly silenced those that have critiqued his free-kick taking since the start of the season, with Granada’s best efforts still not enough to stop the 33-year-old.