Messi, Pedro and Xavi head list of scorers under Guardiola

In his four years in charge, Pep Guardiola has seen his team score a massive 638 goals in 247 games and the three leading scorers in that time were Leo Messi (211), Pedro Rodríguez (58) and Xavi Hernández (36). All three played a key part in the success enjoyed since 2008 and bettered their own personal scoring records.

Messi’s goal scoring feats

Messi made his official debut with the first team in the 2004/05 season under Frank Rijkaard and in his first four seasons he scored 42 goals in 110 games. Over the next four years he managed 211 in 219 games – winning two Golden Boot Awards as Europe’s leading scorer and becoming the Club’s all-time leading scorer in official games.

Pedro also made his debut with Rijkaard, but it was under Guardiola – who had coached him with the reserves in the third division - that he really proved himself, in particular during the 2009/10 season when he scored in every competition and totalled 23 for the whole season. His farewell gift to Guardiola was his two goals in the Cup Final against Athletic Club last week.

Xavi has also increased his goal scoring over the period, scoring 36 goals – the same number he managed in his previous 10 years with the first team between 1998 and 2008.

Change up front

Messi, Pedro and Xavi have been in the goals during a period when the position of the more traditional strikers has been covered by Eto’o –fourth on the list with 36 goals, Villa, fifth on 32, Henry , sixth with 30 and Bojan who is seventh on the list with 29 goals. Ibrahimovic is the tenth leading scorer of the Guardiola era with 22 goals.