In a thrilling El Clasico duel between Spanish football giants Real Madrid and Barcelona on April 23 at Santiago Bernabeu, a bruised and bleeding Lionel Messi scored the winning goal — the 500th of his club career — with the last kick of the match, and threw the La Liga title race wide open as Barca joined Real at the top of the table.
The diminutive Argentinian was fouled six times during the match. He played the first half with piece of cotton wool in his mouth after he was elbowed and started bleeding. Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos was sent off in the 77th minute for wildly lunging at the Argentinian. Messi, however, absorbed all the blows and scored a brace.
TOPSHOT - Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during the Spanish league Clasico football match Real Madrid CF vs FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / OSCAR DEL POZO
His second goal, a seemingly impossible one, came at the last minute of stoppage time as Barcelona went all out for a victory after James Rodriguez’s 85th minute equaliser. With the final seconds slipping away, Sergi Roberto ran from deep, with André Gomes and Jordi Alba sprinting alongside him. When Alba pulled it back, Messi curled his shot into the corner past Keylor Navas.
