Lionel Messi’s now taken over 50 free-kick attempts without scoring, which isn’t surprising at all considering the clever methods that sides are using to stop the Barcelona superstar’s magical ability.
Cadiz were the latest side to showcase the smart way to stop the attacker scoring from dead-ball situations, as they crowded their line and six-yard area on at least two occasions in last night’s win.
Cadiz upset the odds to reel off a surprise 2-1 win against Ronald Koeman’s side.
The way Cadiz defended Messi's free kicks ? pic.twitter.com/y6t5s00TfG
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 5, 2020
Teams have figured out how to stop Lionel Messi from scoring free-kicks and it's working ????.
Ladies and gentlemen, we might not see a Lionel Messi freekick goal for a long while. pic.twitter.com/fFkvdNb2bd
— S??r?? Sókè ? (@____Gustav) December 6, 2020
With this in mind, is it time for Lionel Messi and Barcelona to start experimenting with short free-kick routines that could massively catch the opposition off guard?