On this day in 2017 Lionel Messi produced one of the most iconic El Clasico celebrations.
When regulation time at the Santiago Bernabeu was over, the scoreline was 2-2. The game was done, you’d think. But this is El Clasico.
With 33 seconds left on the clock, Barcelona won the throw-in in their own half.
A quick exchange of passes freed Sergi Roberto, who burst forwards and didn’t stop. Past Modric, past Marcelo, over the halfway line. Then to Andre Gomes, who touched it back to Jordi Alba, who played it into space on the edge of the area. That space. You know it and, more to the point, you know who occupies it.
Messi had glided across unnoticed, untracked. A swish of that magical left boot and the ball was in the back of the net.
The Argentine whipped off his shirt, ran to the seething Madrid crowd and held it up, name and number turned towards the stands.
Should Laporta settle things right with La Liga, we'll see more of Messi's magic next season.
