Lionel Messi has now scored 24 goals in 32 games against Premier League opposition in the Champions League… making the Barcelona star the most prolific player against English teams
- Lionel Messi scored a brace against Manchester United on Tuesday night
- It continued his remarkable record against Premier League opponents
- He first scored against an English team in the 2009 Champions League final
Lionel Messi put Manchester United to the sword to continue his exceptional record against Premier League opposition in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
His brace at the Nou Camp inspired Barcelona into the semi-finals of the competition in a 4-0 aggregate victory.
No one has scored more than his 24 against Premier League sides in the competition, which is double the number of his rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lionel Messi’s brace against Manchester United took his total number of goals to 24 in 32
This week’s double comes almost a decade after his first against an English team, the headed goal in the 2-0 win over United in the 2009 final in Rome.
He then scored another against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in the final at Wembley two years later.
Arsenal have been on the receiving end more than any other Premier League side over the years.
He scored four against them at the Nou Camp in a quarter-final tie in 2010 and another two a year later in the last-16.
Messi kisses his boot after scoring against Manchester United in the final in 2009
The Argentine ran riot against Arsenal in April 2010, scoring four goals in a quarter-final tie
| Date | Opponent | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 27/05/2009 | Manchester United | 1 |
| 06/04/2010 | Arsenal | 4 |
| 08/03/2011 | Arsenal | 2 |
| 28/05/2011 | Manchester United | 1 |
| 18/02/2014 | Manchester City | 1 |
| 12/03/2014 | Manchester City | 1 |
| 23/02/2016 | Arsenal | 2 |
| 16/03/2016 | Arsenal | 1 |
| 19/10/2016 | Manchester City | 3 |
| 01/11/2016 | Manchester City | 1 |
| 20/02/2018 | Chelsea | 1 |
| 14/03/2018 | Chelsea | 2 |
| 03/10/2018 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2 |
| 16/04/2019 | Manchester United | 2 |
After two goals against Manchester City in 2014 he notched a group-stage hat-trick past them in 2016.
Last year he finally broke his duck against Chelsea with three goals across their two-legged last-16 tie.
And earlier this season he scored twice against Tottenham in the group-stage.
Liverpool, who he played against twice in 2007, are the only English team he has faced in the competition without scoring.
Incredibly, Messi is the sixth highest scorer against the big six Premier League sides since notching his first in May 2009.
Messi continued where he left off against United by scoring in the 2011 final at Wembley
Messi scored a hat-trick against Manchester City in the group-stage in October 2016
| All-Time European Cup/CL | Goals vs English teams |
|---|---|
| Messi, Lionel | 24 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 12 |
| Muller, Thomas | 9 |
| Rivaldo | 8 |
| Cavani, Edinson | 8 |
| Eto’o, Samuel | 8 |
| Doumbia, Seydou | 7 |
| Raúl | 7 |
| Benzema, Karim | 7 |
| Kluivert, Patrick | 6 |
| Robben, Arjen | 6 |
| Dzeko, Edin | 6 |
| Ibrahimovic, Zlatan | 6 |
| Luís Figo | 6 |
Sergio Aguero is in a league of his own on 52, leading Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy, Eden Hazard and Robin van Persie. Then comes Messi, despite only playing against the big six in European competition.
Behind Ronaldo in second on the list of all-time top scorers against English teams in the European Cup is Thomas Muller with nine.
Rivaldo is tied with Samuel Eto’o and Edinson Cavani on eight, with Raul, Karim Benzema and the unlikely figure of Seydou Doumbia on seven.
Messi celebrates his 100th Champions League goal after scoring past Chelsea in 2018
He marked his return to Wembley last October with a goal against Tottenham Hotspur
| Since May 27, 2009 | Goals vs big six |
|---|---|
| Sergio Aguero | 52 |
| Wayne Rooney | 38 |
| Jamie Vardy | 32 |
| Eden Hazard | 27 |
| Robin van Persie | 24 |
| Lionel Messi | 24 |
| Harry Kane | 24 |
| Edin Dzeko | 21 |
| Gylfi Sigurdsson | 21 |
| Romelu Lukaku | 20 |
| Sadio Mane | 20 |
