Messi nets 200th goal

The referee pointed to the spot after the Argentine World Player of the Year was brought down by defender Marian Cisovsky and he struck the ball into the net to the goalkeeper’s right to become only the second Barcelona player to reach the mark. The 24-year-old, top scorer in Europe’s elite club competition the past three seasons, then added a second in first-half stoppage time to take his tally to 201 on what was his 286th appearance according to Infostrada. Messi recently took second spot on the list of Barcelona’s record goal scorers from Ladislau Kubala and is fast closing in on the Catalan club’s record marksman Cesar Rodriguez, who scored 235. Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes also wrote his name in the record books on Tuesday when he set a new club best for minutes unbeaten. He has not conceded a goal in 825 minutes, beating a mark held by Miguel Reina, father of Liverpool keeper Pepe, since the 1972-73 season.