Science tells us that nature abhors a vacuum and will always rush to fill it. Perhaps that’s why as soon as the eternal Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi head-to-head withered away when CR7 left Spain, Sergio Ramos stepped up to the plate? Right now we are witnessing a kind of dead-ball shootout between someone who’s
Lionel Messi
In the last weekend before we head into the November international break, club football once again delivered, throwing up some scarcely believable numbers. PREMIER LEAGUE Leicester City dismissed a beleaguered Arsenal, while Sheffield United overcame VAR and doubters to draw at Spurs and go into the international break in fifth place. Manchester United, meanwhile, beat
BARCELONA — Lionel Messi scored his 34th La Liga hat trick as Barcelona got back to winning ways with a 4-1 win over struggling Celta Vigo. Barca’s talisman opened the scoring from the penalty spot but then gave away the free kick from which Lucas Olaza levelled the scores. In response, Messi not only matched
Shaka Hislop says there are no superlatives left to describe Lionel Messi’s talent after another hat trick. Celta Vigo coach Oscar Garcia said Lionel Messi is uncontrollable after the Barcelona forward’s 34th La Liga hat trick spoiled his return to management. Garcia replaced Fran Escriba as Celta coach earlier this week but was helpless on
Your assignment this week is a pleasurable one. Stop what you’re doing and imagine you are Lionel Messi. Full-on, please. Turn your attention to “intense” and answer me this: “If indeed you were Messi, would you be planning to leave Barcelona in the summer?” Serious question. And if not, why not? The question arises for
Janusz Michallik questions whether Ernesto Valverde has much time left at Barcelona after their loss vs. Levante. BARCELONA — Ondrej Kolar made a string of fine saves as Slavia Prague held Barcelona to a goalless draw in the Champions League at Camp Nou on Tuesday. Lionel Messi thumped the bar in the first half and
A wild weekend of football has thrown up quite the loot of interesting numbers. ESPN brings you the best from the weekend’s action: PREMIER LEAGUE Liverpool and Manchester City both clawed their way back from 0-1 down to win 2-1, Manchester United put in one of their Mr. Hyde performances to lose at Bournemouth, Arsenal
Sid Lowe explains how Lionel Messi continues to amaze despite his excellence on the pitch becoming routine. On Lionel Messi’s 15th anniversary of his La Liga debut, Steve Nicol waxes lyrical on his career to date. The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and
Messi’s prodigious skill is well-documented, but, believe it or not, there are some areas of the beautiful game where he falls a bit short. When someone who’s unfamiliar or only slightly familiar with the sport of soccer asks me who is the best player in the world, I tell them “well, it’s Lionel Messi.” Then,
BARCELONA — Lionel Messi was at his vintage best on Tuesday as he scored two and set up two more in Barcelona’s 5-1 thumping of Real Valladolid that moved them back to the top of La Liga. Valladolid’s Kiko Olivas cancelled out Clement Lenglet‘s second-minute opener at Camp Nou before the Messi magic began. He
A wild weekend of football, and there’s a fantastic bunch of numbers to sift through. ESPN brings you the best of the lot. Premier League Liverpool maintained their imperious form with a come-from-behind win against Tottenham, Manchester United finally remembered what it is like to win away from home in the league, Arsenal were held
Janusz Michallik and Ross Dyer believe Barcelona’s new boys are starting to click after their 3-0 win at Eibar. Sid Lowe looks at the possibility of El Clasico being moved from the Camp Nou to Miami, Florida. ESPN FC’s Gab Marcotti provides the latest on the Catalonia protests and how they might affect La Liga.
Lionel Messi scored Barcelona’s opener en route to a 2-1 win at Slavia Prague. Barcelona remain unbeaten in the Champions League this season but were made to work for their three points on Wednesday as they beat Slavia Prague 2-1. Lionel Messi opened the scoring at the Sinobo Stadium inside three minutes before the home
Another fantastic weekend of football brings with it another great bunch of numbers to sift through. ESPN brings you the best of the lot: Premier League Manchester City, Chelsea, and Leicester won, Tottenham eked out a draw, but the headline match of the weekend in England was between the nation’s two most successful teams. Manchester
ESPN FC’s Gab Marcotti provides the latest on the Catalonia protests and how they might affect La Liga. Shaka Hislop reacts to reports that Barcelona are interested in Marcus Rashford over Roberto Firmino. The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that
Oct. 16, 2004 will forever be remembered as a seminal moment in the history of Barcelona. That was the day that Lionel Messi, a floppy-haired and relatively unknown teenager at the time, made his professional debut for the club in a league game against local rivals Espanyol. Messi only came on for the final seven
ESPN FC’s Gab Marcotti provides the latest on the Catalonia protests and how they may impact La Liga. Shaka Hislop reacts to reports that Barcelona are interested in Marcus Rashford over Roberto Firmino. Ale Moreno feels international duty will bring a huge deal of confidence for Antoine Griezmann. Alejandro Moreno breaks down Lionel Messi and
Messi’s circus opened to rave reviews last Thursday in Barcelona as the Cirque du Soleil’s attempt to translate his soccer career to the stage. BARCELONA — Lionel Messi looked at Luis Suarez and, in amazement and in unison, they both rose to their feet and applauded what they’d just seen: a tightrope walker pulling out
The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that the internet has to offer, all in one place. Thursday night saw the world premiere of the new Cirque du Soleil show inspired entirely by the life and times of Lionel Messi. Messi
In case you’re not familiar with expected goals (xG) yet, the statistic is built around the idea that the majority of teams and players convert the same chances at the same frequency. For the most part, the best teams and players aren’t the best because of their ability to finish a high percentage of attempts;