FCBARCELONA.CAT

12.01.2009 12:52

Legendary goals by the number 10 at Pamplona

Jordi Clos

Leo Messi’s extraordinary goal at Osasuna will stick in the memory, just like Romario’s chip and Ronaldinho’s scissors kick have done.

The old Sadar stadium, now called Reyno de Navarro, has been the venue for great goals by recent Barça stars. Romario da Souza (1993), Ronaldinho (2004) and Leo Messi (2009) showed off their skills and scored goals for the photo album away at Osasuna. And they all did so while wearing the number 10 shirt. Both Brazilians are Barça legends, and the Argentine is well on the way to becoming one.

Romario’s year

The 1993/94 season, when the Dream Team won its fourth League title on the bounce, is widely seen as ‘Romario’s year' thanks to goals like the one he scored at El Sadar. On 3 October 1993, Barça beat Osasuna 2-3 with two strikes from Romario and one from Stoitxkov. The one that people remember best is the Brazilian’s first, when a fine assist by Laudrup set up Romario to chip Unanua with his first touch.

Ronaldinho marks start of an era

Ten years later, on matchday 23 in the 2003/04 campaign, Ronaldinho scored one of his best ever goals for Barça. In the 77th minute a shot by Edgar Davids was picked up on the edge of the six yard box by the Brazilian who flicked the ball over a defender and smashed it home on the half-turn. The goal made it 1-2 and confirmed that Barça, led by Ronaldinho, were about to start a glorious era in the club’s history.

Messi’s piledriver

Leo Messi is the latest Barça star to shine at Osasuna. The Argentine’s 84th minute piledriver was Barça’s winner in a game that ended 2-3 to give the Catalans their 13th away win on the bounce and enabled them to equal the points record for the first half of the season. Like his two predecessors in the number 10 shirt, Messi clinched the game at Pamplona with a fantastic piece of skill.