Tuesday 18 April 2017 12:13, UK
Who is better, the artist or the forger? Lionel Messi's replica of Diego Maradona's 'goal of the century' remembered a decade on...
Frank Rijkaard, then Barcelona head coach, dubbed Lionel Messi's solo effort as a 'work of art' after the game, but the uncanny resemblance to Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup semi-final goal against England left AS journalist Alfredo Relaño calling it a 'replica'.
The only difference? Messi's right-footed finish, or as Relaño describes it, 'the upside-down signature', referencing the way famous forger Elmyr De Hory signed off his paintings.
In the 1986 World Cup semi-final in Mexico, Maradona turned the Azteca Stadium pitch into what Gary Lineker described as an 'English bowling green', bouncing off Peters, Beardsley and Reid, followed by Terrys Butcher and Fenwick before twisting his body to complete a left-foot masterpiece beyond Peter Shilton.
Almost 21 years later - on April 18, 2007 - Messi wreaked similar chaos across a Getafe defence in the Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg.
Three Champions League trophies have followed along with six La Liga titles, while on an individual level the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has surpassed all others in his profession, but it was this goal that secured his status as the 'new Maradona' above the likes of Pablo Aimar and Andres D'Alessandro. The Spanish press dubbed him 'Messidona'.
Against Getafe, Madrid's lesser supported club, and in the Copa del Rey, rather than the World Cup, the beauty of Messi's goal is not in its significance. It was the second goal of a 5-2 win at the Nou Camp but Barcelona - without Messi - went away to Getafe's Coliseum stadium for the return leg and lost 4-0.
But still it is remembered, precisely because it has become synonymous with Messi's natural osmosis with the changing landscape of the football pitch before him.
"I saw the space and went for it as I always do," said Messi, then 19, after the game. "I saw Samuel (Eto'o) was in a good position to do a one-two as I neared the area but with two defenders nearby, so I took it on myself."
And take it on he did.
Xavi laid a simple 10-yard pass to his touchline-hugging team-mate inside Barca's own half with 29 minutes on the clock.
"I could have fouled him at that point," former Getafe defender Javier Paredes told Goal, after Messi dodged the left-back's challenge with a controlled first touch and hurried second. "I didn't think it was a good option because it would have cost me a yellow card and I never thought he would do what he did."
Touches three and four saw off Nacho Perez with a nutmeg, sending the Getafe winger in the same direction as Messi's now horizontal hair. The diminutive Barca man was in full flight.
Alexis Ruano and David Belenguer, snoozing security guards startled awake, were slipped past as Messi skipped into the opposition penalty area with three more strokes of his left boot.
Goalkeeper Luis García made himself big and rushed out with gusto, but Messi's speed needed one touch to blow past him.
Forced wide, having covered 55 metres in 12 seconds, Messi switched from his laboured left foot to dink over David Cortes, sliding eternally in vain, with his right.
"These are the goals that go down in history," said team-mate Deco following the game. "It is the most beautiful goal I've ever seen and, don't forget, I've seen Ronaldo, Maradona and Ronaldinho live. Today's goal is perfect. I was so happy for him. He is incredibly humble and oozes quality. At 18 he was at Barcelona, at 19 he scores goals like that. That's impressive."
"It was hard to be on the end of that, but we have seen him do a thousand things better than that goal since."
Now 29, Messi has already spearheaded what many have described as the greatest team football has ever seen, acting as the focal point in Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. With more than 500 goals for club and country over his career, his destruction of defences has been relentless.
"It was hard to be on the end of that, but we have seen him do a thousand things better than that goal since," Cortes told Goal in 2015, reminiscing about the night eight years earlier. Indeed, many of Messi's moments of brilliance are somehow diluted by the sheer volume of them.
Barcelona supporters will be hoping he can conjure up yet another moment of magic on Sunday, when he takes on Real Madrid and rival Cristiano Ronaldo, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.
The forward, into a new role since Luis Suarez's arrival as Barcelona's striker, will be laden with further responsibility in the suspended Neymar's absence this weekend, but the weight of expectation has never held Messi down.
"I've seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentinean football and his name is Messi," said Maradona in 2006, a year before Messi's reproduction of his 'goal of the century'.
"He is beautiful to watch - my kind of player in our blue and white jersey. He's a leader and is offering classes in beautiful football. He has something different to any other player in the world."
Whether art or replication, Messi's masterpiece a decade ago remains one of the all-time great goals. But his glorious gallery is due plenty more additions before he hangs up his boots…
