Messi did not disappoint the fans who supported him.
After controlling the ball with his left foot, his brilliance began to unfold.
He feinted with his left foot, then suddenly accelerated, using his signature change of pace.
Although the player assigned to defend him was Kanté, the reality was clear—Kanté simply couldn't keep up.
With a sudden burst of speed, Messi effortlessly bypassed Kanté.
The next second, he was already at the edge of the penalty area.
This was Messi's prime shooting zone.
So far this season in La Liga, Messi had already scored ten goals from this exact position.
His long-range shooting ability was becoming increasingly terrifying.
Seeing this, Chelsea's head coach, Antonio Conte, immediately panicked.
He shouted urgently from the sideline:
"Stop him! Don't let Messi get a shot off!"
"Close him down! Don't give him any space to shoot!"
As soon as Conte's voice echoed across the pitch, Chelsea's center-backs, Antonio Rüdiger and César Azpilicueta, rushed in to intercept Messi.
Their objective was clear—to block his shot at all costs.
But could they really stop him?
The moment Messi saw Azpilicueta and Rüdiger closing in, he didn't slow down.
Instead, he displayed his genius.
Just as he was about to collide with the two defenders, Messi executed a perfect through ball with his left foot.
In the blink of an eye, the ball sliced through Chelsea's defense and entered the penalty area.
Luis Suárez was already in position.
Among Barcelona's forwards, he had the best chemistry with Messi.
Off the pitch, their relationship was just as strong.
At this critical moment, Suárez received Messi's pass.
A quick glance from the corner of his eye told him exactly where Chelsea's goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, was positioned.
And in the very next second—
Suárez didn't hesitate.
He made a split-second decision and unleashed a powerful strike.
The ball rocketed toward Chelsea's goal like a cannonball.
There was no stopping it.
Suárez, once the best center-forward in the world, still had a devastating shot.
The ball flew past Courtois' right side and into the net.
Chelsea's goalkeeper stood frozen, staring at Suárez in disbelief.
He simply couldn't process how the striker had managed such a high-speed shot.
While Courtois was still in shock, Suárez and Messi had already begun their celebration.
The stands at Camp Nou exploded with noise.
Nearly 100,000 Barcelona fans roared Suárez's name in unison.
At this moment, Barcelona had completely seized the momentum of the match.
On the sidelines, Barcelona's head coach, Ernesto Valverde, embraced his assistants in celebration of this spectacular goal.
Meanwhile, on the opposite bench, Antonio Conte sat with doubt written all over his face.
Even before this game had started, Conte had been well aware—
Facing Barcelona would be an immense challenge.
And now, that challenge had just become even greater.
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