Lionel Messi's highlights from this season prove that the Barcelona talisman is well and truly in a league of his own.
In the summer, following the dismal 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich, Messi was hugely frustrated at the Nou Camp and there was a saga whereby he handed in a transfer request.
Messi then reluctantly announced he would be staying put because he did not want to enter a legal dispute with his beloved Barcelona, but the Blaugrana skipper's form at the start of the campaign was not all that great.
With Luis Suarez gone, Barcelona became even more reliant on their main man. It took him until November to score his first open play goal of the season after 1027 minutes of action.
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But after a slow start to the season by Messi's unrivalled standards, the Argentine has produced another wondrous term full of mesmeric dribbles, stunning strikes and perfect playmaking.
Sit back and watch his best bits, aptly set to 'Kanye West - Devil In A New Dress' in @HTcomps' video.
In a pretty poor Barca side, the 33-year-old has 36 goals and 14 assists in all competitions and the majority of his contributions have come in the second half of the season, which has been utterly ridiculous.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner notched 26 goals and nine assists in 26 games in 2021. He's won Man of the Match 18 times in La Liga and hasn't gone more than two fixtures without claiming the award.
Last night, he struck twice - including his 50th free-kick for Barcelona - as Ronald Koeman's side beat Valencia 3-2 away at the Mestalla.
Suggestions that Messi was on the decline have been completely dispelled and irrespective of what happens in the tense three-way La Liga title race, he's well in contention to scoop a seventh Ballon d'Or.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, La Liga
