GOAL, MESSI, GOAL screamed the commentators as Leo Messi slotted home his 50th goal of the season.

There wasn’t so much as celebration as relief because Barça are looking tired and are still licking their wounds after losing a bruising Copa Del Rey final against Real.

Many questioned the mental strength of Barça and coach Guardiola but when you have a player like Messi, it can’t all be bad.

The Argentina man, who started the game on the bench, was called on to put this game to bed. He has been in superb form; it’s hard to believe that he is still only 23 and has already won the Ballon D’Or twice.

Nicknamed ‘La Pulga’ (the flea) stories of Messi and Cesc Fabregas needing boosts onto the sub benches are common in Catalonia. For as much as Barça owe Messi, he owes them. They brought him from Argentina and paid for his treatment for growth hormone deficiency. But it was an action by ex-coach Frank Rijkaard that probably helped Messi keep his feet on the ground.

In a team with Eto’o and the Sultan of bling, Ronaldinho, Rijkaard was worried that Messi would fall into the typical trappings that a lot of young players do. So he assigned ex-Arsenal defender Sylvinho to mentor the player. Sylvinho used to drive the player to and from training occasionally stopping at a church.

Hard road

Messi has had his knocks. Injuries have played a part. It could be suggested that for all his talent Barça have yet to find his perfect partner. Larsson, Eto’o, Ronaldinho, Henry, Ibrahamovic and now Villa have all been paired with him. And it’s not that the lad is guilty of hogging the ball. In fact, if he has one weakness it is that at times he is not selfish enough.

There have been times when he has had a clear chance to score only to pass to a team mate. Another complaint is that he doesn’t score with his head. The English press made a big deal with this before the final of the Champions League in 2009 only to see him leap into the air and knock it home. But, Barça don’t play high balls into the box. And he has scored one goal this year from a header in the league.

International

Maybe the only blot on his copy book would be his performances with Argentina. His relationship with his home nation at times has been strained with some complaining that he doesn’t seem to care as much as for when he plays for Barça.

It was believed that Maradona was going to build a team around young Leo, but El Diego too seemed to have a strained relation with Messi. It started well.

In one Copa Del Rey game at the Vicente Calderon when Messi came off after almost destroying Atleti single handedly, Maradona left the ground with 15 minutes to go. Why? ‘When Messi comes off, the game is over’ answered Diego.

The comparisons between the two are constant and no more so than when Messi scored a goal against Getafe which was similar to Maradona’s against England in ’86. ‘It was only Getafe’ answered the great one. But one wonders if Maradona is slightly jealous of the self-control Messi seems to have.

Worthy Adversaries

If there is one person who has suffered because of Messi, it is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese player is having the season of his life. He is still prone to hissy fits when he loses the ball but under Mourinho they have become less frequent. He has even been seen to defend at times.

Ronaldo or Messi is a common debate in the newspapers. For the neutral it is great. Whether it has been Messi who has pushed Ronaldo to lift his game or vice versa long may it last as this type of football is great to watch and great for La Liga.

Around The Grounds

Barça playing like Real and Real playing like Barça. What a weird weekend! A 6pm kick-off saw a game with nine goals against Valencia. Madrid were just brilliant and what’s more is that it was with their reserves. Higuaín and Kaka have both just returned from serious injuries and showed why Real have missed them. Higuaín netted a hat trick and gave the ball which he had signed by all the squad to debutant Nacho.

Another gesture that didn’t go unnoticed was the refusal of ex Real player Roberto Soldado to applaud as Valencia made a guard of honour for the new Copa Del Rey champions. Upset with his old employers or just a Barça fan deep down?

As if they needed another reason to be one of Spain’s most hated clubs, Sevilla are back in the headlines. Not for the great match that saw them beat Villarreal 3-2 but for the actions of some of their ballboys who threw balls onto the pitch to try and slow down Villarreal. The actions marred what was an exciting game.

Who would be a goalkeeper? Corner comes in when the opposing player does a diving header but fails to make contact. Ah relief. Poor Munúa, the goalkeeper of Levante, thought so until the ball bounced off him and ended in the back of the net. The goalkeeper didn’t have the best of afternoons conceding four against Atletico de Madrid who played some of their best football this season but I hear they all went out for pizza afterwards to cheer him up.

The Basque derby really is a tale of 2 cities. Athletic Bilbao faced Real Sociedad, from San Sebastian, in a gritty and scrappy derby. Both teams are looking in different directions at the league table. Bilbao look like being back in Europe next season after winning 2-1. ‘La Real’ are still six points off the drop zone but have games against Barça, Sevilla and Valencia to come.

Garreth Nunn is the co-founder and writer for the website www.madridatleticos.com. He contributes to a weekly podcast called ‘This is Atleti’ that gives insight into following a Spanish Club and is available via iTunes. You can find him also on Twitter: @madridatleticos and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/madridatleticos