Some Manchester United have expressed a sense of disregard for Lionel Messi’s favourite goal in his long and storied football career.
The Argentine recently picked out his goal against United in the 2009 UEFA Champions League final to be his favourite one. The game saw the Catalans pick up a 2-0 win, handing Pep Guardiola his first-ever European title.
In an interview with TYC Sport (via Goal), Messi talked about the historic goal. He said:
“It was in the Champions League final and helped us to close the circle with Guardiola and win the treble, which we had never done. That goal rounded up a spectacular game.”
Messi had also scored once for Barca in their 3-1 win over Sir Alex Ferguson’s men in the Champions League final of 2011. But some United fans are in disbelief as to what Messi’s favourite goal is.
Lionel Messi has picked his header against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final as his favourite Barcelona goal pic.twitter.com/W9b44yg9zh
— Goal (@goal) October 28, 2019
He must be mad
— landlord of dangote’ (@mrland_lord) October 28, 2019
That’s because he never score a header goal again
— Saifullahi .S. Adam (@saiph2431) October 28, 2019
Because no one expected him to score that way.. Vidic, ferdinand, and vds were surprised
— yamiRic (@yamiRic) October 28, 2019
Can understand why.. pic.twitter.com/mdWcVIgH5O
— ?ombre10? (@Hombre10i) October 28, 2019
The last time United came up against Messi was last season in the quarter-final of the Champions League. After a 1-0 loss at Old Trafford, United had travelled to the Nou Camp in an attempt to overturn the deficit. But they lost 3-0, with Messi grabbing a brace on the day.
Messi boasts of an incredible goalscoring record against English sides and has found the back of the net 22 times in 30 appearances. He scored against Tottenham and Liverpool too last season but failed to score against United.
Some of the Old Trafford faithful hailed the Argentine star as well, lauding him for the header that put the ball past Edwin van der Sar.
It should cus am still surprised (as a @ManUtd fan) till date how he scored that goal. Unbelievable!
— Henzy. (@henzyshosho) October 28, 2019
Well, a header in CL final for him is something really special.
— ArsiPappa (@ArsiPappa) October 28, 2019
United failed to qualify for the Champions League last season, finishing sixth in the Premier League under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
In their Europa League campaign so far this season, the Red Devils have been placed in a group that has Partizan Belgrade, Astana and AZ Alkmaar. They drew away to AZ, beat Astana at home and won 1-0 in the Serbian capital last week.
Solskjaer’s men are yet to concede a single goal in the European campaign this season.
What do we think?
While Messi indeed has scored too many great goals to count, the context of that header in 2009 was remarkable. It capped off a sensational season for the club, as they won the treble in Guardiola’s first season at the Nou Camp.
More than that, it was a case of avenging themselves. Barca had been knocked out of the 2007-08 campaign of the Champions League by United themselves in the semi-finals. United and Cristiano Ronaldo won the title in 2008, but Messi doing the same with Barca in 2009 was, perhaps, a spark for the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry.