Leo Messi and Diego Alves: old foes meet again

Leo Messi and Diego Alves have met 16 times over their club careers, the first coming back in 2008/09 when the Brazilian was first choice goalkeeper at Almería. Barça’s number 10 faced Alves on six occasions, scoring seven times including a hat-trick in the 8-0 away win in the league in the 2010/11 season.

In 2011 Diego Alves signed for Valencia and since then Messi has scored 12 times past the Brazilian in 10 matches. The goalkeeper saved a penalty from the Argentine that season but also conceded four from the Barça number 10 in the blaugranes 5-1 league win at Camp Nou.

A hat-trick for Messi in a 3-2 league victory at Mestalla in 2013 was followed by another last season in the 7-0 win against los che in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at Camp Nou. This season Messi scored twice, the second the winner in injury time from the spot, in the 3-2 win away from home in the league to stretch his total against his fellow South American to 19 goals in 16 matches.