Messi aims to add to successful scoring run against Atletico
The Barcelona forward will get a chance to add to his impressive tally of 26 career goals against Atletico on Sunday, when a victory at the Vicente Calderon Stadium could move the defending champions ahead of Real Madrid for the first time in months.
The 29-year-old Argentina captain has not gone two consecutive games without scoring since early September, and is the league’s leading scorer with 19 goals — one more than teammate Luis Suarez.
If Barcelona beats fourth-place Atletico, Messi will earn his 400th career victory with the Catalan club.
Barcelona has been struggling recently, though, coming off a humiliating 4-0 loss at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and a lackluster 2-1 win over relegation-threatened Leganes at Camp Nou last Sunday, when Messi scored twice, including a 90th-minute winner after a controversial penalty.
Fans loudly jeered the team, a rarity for a club which has dominated world soccer in the past decade.
Most of the criticism has been aimed at coach Luis Enrique, who is accused of failing to make a team full of stars play up to its potential.