Messi on course to smash amazing La Liga record

By Boluwatife Ezekiel Olaleye

Barcelona forward Leo Messi has begun the 2017/18 campaign in unbelievable form.

Many experts believed the Catalan giants would be in decline following the €222m sale of Neymar but the 30-year-old Argentine wizard has somehow stepped up a gear.

Barcelona have won each of their five opening La Liga fixtures in Neymar’s absence and Messi has already scored nine league goals.

He netted four in the 6-1 win over Eibar on Tuesday night.

Telmo Zarra’s 38-goal La Liga haul in 1950-51 was the record number of goals scored in a season all the way until Messi and Ronaldo’s emergence.

Hugo Sanchez equalled the record in the 1989-90 season but it was finally beaten by the Portuguese Real Madrid forward in 2011.

Ronaldo scored 40 and Messi responded with an incredible tally of 50 La Liga goals in the 2011-12 season.

ALSO SEE: FIFA investigating Chelsea and Man City over transfer rules breach

That unbelievable season may never be eclipsed but his current goalscoring rate of 1.8 goals per game would take him far above 50 goals.

Although highly unlikely, Messi would finish with 68 goals if he were to continue at his current rate.

He’s proven that he’s superhuman during his time in Barcelona – surpassing his 50 goal tally would be one of his greatest individual achievements.