Oxygen for Messi

Leo Messi appeared smiling on Monday when he returned to Barça's training sessions. With 19 goals in the 19 games he has played in 2021, he hopes to return after the hiatus just as he left. And, in addition, he has been able to catch air. Because Messi, one more season, had played a lot. As much as 92.2% of the minutes in which it was available. Namely, he has played 2,212 minutes of the 2,340 in which he was available in LaLiga. He was a substitute for the two games against Betis and was substituted in Granada in the 65th minute. In addition, he did not play two games: due to injury against Eibar and due to suspension in Elche (expulsion in the Super Cup final against Athletic). In the Cup he has played the 420 minutes (he was not suspended in the first game against Cornellà) and in the Super Cup he lost the semifinal against Real due to injury and played the entire game against Athletic until he was sent off at the last minute of the extension. Curiously, it was in the Champions League where he rested the most. With qualifying on track thanks to the triumph in Turin, Koeman gave him a break on trips to Kiev and Budapest. In addition, the Barça captain played the four complete games of the South American qualification for the Qatar World Cup that have been played this season.

In total, Messi has played 3,652 out of 3,960 possible minutes. However, its performance has increased. His figures in 2021 are spectacular and the section in which it is time to finish arrives. After a bad start to the season, individual and team, he has two titles to shoot, the League and the Cup. Piru Gainza's record for Cup titles, his eighth trophy for the most goals scored in the League and, in the background, the Copa América that Laporta hopes that he will play renewed.