Marcus Rashford Breaks Barcelona’s Free-Kick Monopoly Against Real Madrid—What Messi Never Achieved in Decades

As highlighted by OptaJose on X (formerly Twitter), Rashford’s effort was the third free kick goal Barcelona have scored against Real Madrid in this century, and the first since October 2012, when the previous one had also come in a La Liga fixture at Camp Nou.

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Since Messi’s departure in 2021, Barcelona have converted just three direct free kicks from over 100 attempts, with Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski and Pablo Torre each netting one. Rashford’s goal brings that tally to four, a figure that underscores the significant drop in free kick precision the club has experienced since the Argentine’s exit.

Messi’s free kick goals against Real Madrid

Lionel Messi is currently closing in on the top tier of all-time free kick goalscorers, with 71 to his name and just one behind Juninho Pernambucano for a place in the top three. Two of those goals came against Real Madrid while wearing the Barcelona shirt.

The first arrived in the Spanish Super Cup in August 2012, when Messi curled a stunning long-range free kick past Iker Casillas at the Santiago Bernabéu in the second leg, with Barcelona claiming the trophy. The second came just two months later in a La Liga match at Camp Nou, in a 2-2 draw in which both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each scored a brace.

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