Lionel Messi routinely makes spectacular plays that no other football player in the world can replicate. He often makes opposing defenders look silly, yet does so in a seemingly effortless manner.
Jerome Boateng was Messi’s latest victim when Barcelona and Bayern Munich squared off at the Camp Nou in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal on Wednesday.
The match was actually scoreless after 75 minutes, but then Messi took over. He blasted a low shot from outside the box by Manuel Neuer in the 77th minute, but didn’t stop there.
The 80th minute of the match featured Messi making Boateng look silly. After receiving a pass in stride, he found himself one-on-one with the Bayern Munich defender. Messi then executed a feint to perfection which sent Boateng tumbling to the pitch. He then calmly chipped the ball over Neuer for his second goal of the match.
All it takes is a few magical touches from Messi to change the entire outcome of a match, and that’s exactly what happened on Wednesday.