October 25, 2009 was a very special day for Seydou Keita. In the eighth game of the season, Zaragoza came to the Camp Nou and Barça’s Malian midfielder was brilliant as his side cruised to a 6-1 win, with Keita himself finding the target three times.

Keita opens the scoring

Barça were simply astounding and Keita especially so when, for the first time ever, he scored more than one goal in a single game. It was he who opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a terrific header from a Leo Messi cross. The Aragonese defence simply didn’t know what to do with the African, who made constant runs into the frontline to place himself in ideal positions to receive passes.

Opportunistic goal and another header to complete the ‘set’

Shortly before half-time, Keita made it 3-0 after Ibrahimovic had scored the second from a powerful free kick. In the 40th minute, the Malian tapped home a Xavi assist following yet another penetrating run from midfield to end a move he had started himself.

Barça continued to dominate in the second half, with Ibrahimovic and Messi adding further goals while Jorge López did manage a consolidation goal for Zaragoza. With five minutes to go, Keita rounded off his historic evening by making it three with another trademark header from an Iniesta corner that Carrizo was powerless to keep out. The player celebrated that goal in a very special way. And he had every right to.