Barcelona captain Lionel Messi added more records to his enormous collection on Saturday with two goals in a 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Copa del Rey in Seville.
The captain struck twice in the second half to overtake Telmo Zarra as the player with the most goals in the final of the competition.
9 – Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 has scored nine goals in Copa del Rey 10 finals for @FCBarcelona, becoming the player with the most in the finals of the competition’s history (Telmo Zarra 🇪🇸, eight). Crown.
Messi’s goals also take him to 31 for the season in all competitions. It’s a landmark the 33-year-old has hit for an incredible 13 consecutive seasons.
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Griezmann and De Jong on Target
Barcelona dominated the first half against Athletic but could not find a way past goalkeeper Unai Simon. The chances continued to flow after the break, and Barca finally made the breakthrough when Antoine Griezmann struck on the hour from a Frenkie de Jong cross.
The goal continues Griezmann’s excellent record when it comes to finding the back of the net in finals for club and country.
5 – Antoine Griezmann 🇫🇷 has scored six goals in his last five finals between club and country: Europa League (2), World Cup (1), Supercopa (2) and Copa del Rey (1). Prince.
The Dutchman headed home a second three minutes later to put Barca in charge of the tie before Messi added a glorious third on 68 minutes. The captain started the move just inside the Athletic half, swapped passes with De Jong, and calmly curled the ball home.
WHAT A GOAL LIONEL MESSI!
BARCELONA LEAD BIG IN THE COPA DEL REY FINAL!
Messi added a second four minutes later to make it 4-0, rifling a low shot from goalkeeper Unai Simon after a low cross from Jordi Alba.
MESSI AGAIN.
Barcelona 4-0 Athletic Bilbao 😱
Griezmann thought he had added a fifth late on after rounding Simon and slotting home but saw his effort disallowed for offside. Barca had to settle for four which means Messi wins the 35th title of his career with the Catalan giants.
The Argentina international was also named the final’s MVP after his two-goal display.
🔵🔴🏆 MVP LEO MESSI!!
Koeman Lands First Trophy
The victory for Barcelona means the club continues its phenomenal record in the Copa del Rey and wins the trophy for a record-extending 31st time. It’s also a first title for the Catalan giants under manager Ronald Koeman.
The Dutchman has now lifted the trophy three times in his career. He won the Copa del Rey as a player with Barcelona back in 1990 and as a manager with Valencia in 2008.
The win also means Barca will avoid a second trophyless season in a row and should provide the team with a big morale boost ahead of the La Liga run-in. Koeman’s men remain in contention to win the league and are just two points behind leaders Atletico Madrid with eight games left to play.
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Messi Smashes More Records With Copa del Rey Final Double