FCBARCELONA.CAT

22.04.2010 10:50

Jerez and Villarreal in Messi’s sights

Roger Bogunyà

Barca’s next two league rivals, Jerez and Villarreal, are the only two teams in the competition who Leo Messi has yet to score against, something he has the chance to change over the next couple of weeks.

Barca play Jerez on Saturday at the Nou Camp and the following week they travel to Villarreal with their World and European Player of the Year facing the only two La Liga teams who he’s not scored against.

Six attempts

Messi’s faced Jerez just the once, when he played 40 minutes in Andalucía earlier this season, setting up Ibra for Barca’s second goal in their 0-2 win, whilst he’s played a total of five times against Villarreal since he debuted against them in the 2005/06 season, failing to beat the keepers Viera and Diego López over the total of 438 minutes he’s played.

Fourteen victims this season

This season Messi has been on fire in front of goal and only three teams, in addition to Jerez and Villarreal have not received a goal from him: Sporting, Osasuna and Espanyol – he’s scored against all the other 14 opponents, with Zaragoza suffering most, one in the Romareda and a hat trick in the Nou Camp, whilst he’s also scored a hat trick against both Valencia and Tenerife.