Lionel Messi overtakes Cristiano Ronaldo after marking 30+ league goals for the 9th time

While Barcelona's claim for the LaLiga title might be over, captain Lionel Messi continues to make and break records with his brilliance on the pitch. The Blaugrana slipped to a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Camp Nou to Celta Vigo, ending their hopes of regaining the Spanish top-flight title. Messi nonetheless got on the scoresheet and got the better of his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo after his goal during the Barcelona vs Celta Vigo clash. 

Lionel Messi overtakes Cristiano Ronaldo after 30th LaLiga goal during Barcelona vs Celta Vigo 

Lionel Messi's attempt to keep Barcelona's title charge alive did not see the light of the day as a Santi Mina double saw the end of their hopes of clinching LaLiga. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner dragged his team to within two points of leaders Atletico Madrid when he put his side ahead, but Celta struck back to put those hopes to bed. The Catalan club will finish outside the top two for the first time since 2008 as their Madrid rivals Real and Atletico are both set to finish in the top two spots on the table. Messi's strike nonetheless was his 30th in LaLiga this season, marking the ninth instance of him scoring 30 or more in the Spanish top flight. 

The Argentine legend's record sees him topple eternal rival and Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend has scored more than 30 league goals only eight times in his career, with six of those instances coming during his time at Real Madrid. Ronaldo first passed the 30-goal mark while at Manchester United during the 2007/08 season, before doing it for six straight seasons from 2010 to 2016. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner passed the 30-goal mark in Serie A last year, during his second year with Juventus. The 36-year-old has 29 goals this term and could pass the mark this year again if he scores in Juventus' final game of the season against Bologna. 

Lionel Messi stats

Messi meanwhile first breached the in 2009/10 season, breaching it for four straight seasons. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner passed the mark in alternate seasons before crossing the 30-goal barrier for three straight seasons. Messi missed out on the mark last year, but has roared back into form, and is currently leading the race for the Pichichi trophy, seven ahead of Villarreal's Gerard Moreno. The Barcelona skipper will now have to decide on his future, with his deal at Camp Nou set to expire at the end of the season. 

LaLiga table latest 

Luis Suarez has put Atletico Madrid closer to LaLiga glory with an 88th-minute winner against Osasuna on Sunday. Diego Simeone's men were staring at a shock defeat but Renan Lodi and Luis Suarez scored in the final ten minutes of the game to clinch three points. The Rojiblancos now are two points ahead of Real Madrid, who kept alive their hopes of retaining their title following a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao. Simeone's men travel to Real Valladolid while Los Blancos will face off against Villarreal next. A defeat or a draw could prove to be catastrophic for the league leaders, with Real Madrid holding the head to head advantage over their city rivals. 

(Image Courtesy: Barcelona Twitter)