Lionel Messi is one of the best ever football players but he is not known for headed goals.
But one of his favourite goals was exactly that against Manchester United back in 2009 when he outfoxed Rio Ferdinand to get open and tucked away a calm header in the Champions League final.
The Spanish giants had taken an early lead thanks to a strike by Samuel Eto’o before Messi got in behind Ferdinand and met Xavi’s cross with a looping header which Edwin van der Sar couldn’t prevent from nestling in the corner of the net.
Barcelona won 2-0 that day against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side and Messi still remembers the moment fondly.
“It was hard to imagine that I was going to score with my head with Ferdinand standing near me, but I didn’t really have a marker,” Messi told FourFourTwo.
“It was such an important goal in every sense: for the team, for the way the final was turning in our favour and for me, too. It’s still one of my favourite goals,” he said.
Ferdinand has previously said that United would have won that day had they not faced Messi, with the Argentinian admitting the win capped off in style a season which included La Liga and Copa Del Rey triumphs as well.
“It completed a great season when we won everything,” Messi added.
Messi will play against United at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening as Barcelona and the Red Devils meet in the Champions League quarter-finals.
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