FCBARCELONA.CAT

22.03.2010 12:01

Zaragoza match stats

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Barca’s win away to Zaragoza will be remembered for Leo Messi’s superb performance. However, a quick look at the stats will show that were many other notable performances.

- Until this weekend, Salva Ballesta was the only player to have scored two consecutive hat tricks in the league (in the 1999/00 season). As for Leo Messi, it was the first time he had scored in five consecutive matches.

- Messi (25 goals) is one goal behind Europe’s top scorer Wayne Rooney. However, Manchester United have played four more matches than Barca.

- Yet again Messi demonstrated his skill with the ball at his feet with 14 swerving runs of which 12 were successful.

- Barca have now reached the figure of 100 competitive goals this season in just 44 matches: 68 in the league, 12 in the Champions League, 9 in the Cup, 5 in the World Club Cup, 5 in the Spanish Super Cup and one in the European Super Cup.

Keita made his comeback in the Romareda over a month after he picked up an injury in the Calderón. He missed a total of seven matches.

-Fullbacks Dani Alves and Maxwell recorded the most interventions in the game – Alves with 112 and Maxwell with 92.

- It was the third time this season that Barca had lined up without Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta. The previous two matches in which the team started a match without its two midfield generals were in the Cup against Cultural Leonesa and in the 10th league match day against Mallorca. The three matches ended up in wins for Barca by a two-goal margin.

- Alves (11) and Milito (10) recovered the most balls for Barca

-Ibrahimovic and Messi were the authors of 13 of Barca’s 19 shots on goal.

- Busquets and Zaragoza midfielder Ander suffered the most fouls (6).

- Zaragoza goalkeeper Roberto has played against Barca for two different teams this season and conceded nine goals.