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Lionel Messi's record illustrates his peerless drive to be the best - ESPN FC
What Leo Messi will tell his son Thiago, and then his grandchildren, in turn, is that the night he beat Gerd Muller's 40-year-old record of 85 goals in a calendar year Barca won the match.
Messi breaks Müller's record of goals scored in a calendar year | FC Barcelona
He was La Liga’s Pichichi last year with 50 goals; he was awarded the Golden Boot; he was the Champions League’s highest scorer with 14 goals; he claimed the Copa del Rey for the Blaugrana; he’s this season’s highest scorer in La Liga with 23 goals from 15 matches, and he finished the 2012/13 Champions League group stage with 5 goals from 6 matches.
From 1 to 86: How Messi scored each of his record-breaking goals in 2012 - Goal.com
Gerd Muller must be sick of the sight of Lionel Messi. For the second time in the space of six months he has witnessed the diminutive attacker break one of his long-standing records. By the end of the 2011-12 season the 25-year-old had surpassed the prolific German's tally of 67 goals in a campaign, and now he has seen his record of 85 goals in a calendar year shattered too.
International press hail Leo Messi's historic year | FC Barcelona
It took Leo Messi 343 days to score 86 goals in 2012, a mark that sees the Argentine clear of the record of goals scored in a calendar year set by Gerd ‘Der Bomber’ Müller in 1972. Press from around the globe took notice when Messi fired twice past Real Betis Balompié’s keeper this Sunday to break the 40-year-old record. The Blaugrana forward has three more games left in 2012 to add to his record-breaking tally of 86 goals.
Messi’s 86 goals not a proper record | Early Doors - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
It is borderline heretical to question Lionel Messi's achievements in football - to do so requires Samir Nasri-esque reserves of courage - but allow Early Doors to retain a sliver of scepticism when digesting the news that last night the Barcelona forward broke Gerd Mueller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year.
Messi’s record in detail | FC Barcelona
By scoring a brace at the Benito Villamarín, Leo Messi took his total in 2012 to 86 goals, beating the all-time record in a calendar year set by Gerd Müller (1972). In the league, Messi has scored 56 goals in 34 games, while Müller got 42 in 34 games.
Betis - FC Barcelona: No limits (1-2) | FC Barcelona
Betis went toe to toe with Vilanova’s men and very nearly came back with a brave performance after going down 0-2 within the first half hour. Ruben Castro got one back before the break and the hosts saw three posts deny them an equaliser, before Barça themselves - through Messi and Alba - were thwarted by the woodwork.
Messi: "The record is great, but what's truly important is that the team won"" | FC Barcelona
Leo Messi has written another historic page in his legendary career. The Argentine, who scored two goals tonight at the Benito Villamarín against Betis (1-2), broke Gerd Müller’s record of goals scored in a calendar year (85 goals). After the match, Messi said, "the record is great for what it means, but the most important thing is that the team won and that we maintained the distance with the teams behind us."
Tito Vilanova: "The first 30 minutes were the best we've had all year" | FC Barcelona
"The first 30 minutes were the best we’ve had all year. However, like I warned before the game, Betis scored before the break without creating many chances, and it got complicated from then on out. In the second half they pressured us high up the pitch and they created chances to score ... I’m pleased. In the first half we dominated the game and in the second half we managed to grind out the win."
Cesc to miss three to four weeks | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona’s Medical Services confirmed that Cesc Fàbregas has torn the bicep femoris in his left thigh. He’ll be sidelined for three to four weeks. Therefore, he’ll miss the team’s last three games in 2012 - the two Liga matches against Atlético Madrid and Valladolid and the away leg of the Copa del Rey against Córdoba.
FC Barcelona to face Córdoba & Atlètico this week | FC Barcelona
Barça’s schedule is marked by another week with two matches, the first will be this Wednesday against Córdoba in the Cup and the second will be on Sunday against Atlético Madrid. El Cholo Simeone’s side’s visit to the Camp Nou will bring an end to Barça’s intense week. The Blaugrana will travel to Córdoba to play the away leg of the Last 16 of the Cup and, as we said previously, Barça will host Atlético Madrid at the Camp Nou on Sunday.
Training for the cup | FC Barcelona
There is no time for rest as the FCB squad refocused on the Copa del Rey in their Monday session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The first leg of their second round clash with Cordoba is on Wednesday, and all of the first team trained today along with reserves Sergi Gómez, Jordi Quintillà, Joan Àngel Román, Javier Espinosa, Ivan Balliu, Sergio Araujo, Edgar Ié, Oier Olazábal and Cristian Tello.
Possible Champions League rivals (III): Galatasaray | FC Barcelona
After analyzing Milan and Arsenal, it’s time to focus on Turkey, where the reigning champions of the league, Galatasaray, await FC Barcelona. The Turks had an irregular group stage where they won their last three matches to make it to the knock-out round. In the last two games between Catalans and Turks, the Blaugrana won 0-2 in Turkey and 3-1 at the Camp Nou.
Falcao hits five as Atletico crush Deportivo - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
The prolific Colombian, known as "the tiger" and coveted by several of Europe's richest clubs, took his tally for the season to 16 in 15 matches as Atletico restored their five-point lead over chasing city rivals Real Madrid. The thumping victory at a festive Calderon kept them six points behind unbeaten leaders Barcelona.
Mallorca run extended by Levante | Sky Sports Football
Obafemi Martins got the ball rolling three minutes before the interval as he successfully battled with Pedro Geromel for a long ball over the top before slotting past Dudu Aouate for his sixth goal of the season. The game was well and truly over within 13 minutes of the restart as David Navarro headed home at the back post from a corner before Ruben Garcia and Vicente Iborra also got on the scoresheet after being set-up brilliantly by Martins.
First win in four for Bilbao | Sky Sports Football
The striker converted Ibai Gomez's cross for his 12th goal in all competitions this season to give the home side some welcome relief, their last three games having yielded just a single point sandwiched between 5-1 defeats to Real Madrid and Barcelona. The result also took them three points ahead of their opponents, whose attacking threat was limited throughout a lacklustre game.