Revisiting Lionel Messi's 'Hand of God' moment when Barcelona faced Espanyol

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi is widely regarded as the greatest football star to grace the game. Since his emergence onto the scene, the Barcelona man has often been compared to his Argentina compatriot and football legend Diego Maradona. One incident particularly led to an intense comparison between the two - the Hand of God goal. 

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Lionel Messi Hand of God moment vs Espanyol

Diego Maradona was involved in one of the most controversial goals when his famous 'Hand of God' goal led to England's defeat in the FIFA World Cup final 1986. A similar controversy erupted when Barcelona played against Espanyol in 2007 as a young Lionel Messi was on the rise. In that game, Messi reproduced the controversial Hand of God moment, eerily reproducing Maradona's Hand of God.

Lionel Messi Hand of God moment

Barcelona were trailing by a goal against Espanyol until the 43rd minute. Just then, Lionel Messi came to the fore, albeit with his hand, thus reproducing his own version of the Hand of God moment. Although the Espanyol players reported the mishappening to the referee, the official paid no heed to their claims and the Messi Hand of God goal was allowed. 

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Lionel Messi Hand of God moment

Lionel Messi went on to score again in the second half. However, the game ended in a 2-2 draw after Espanyol scored a deserved equaliser in the injury time to bag a point from the game. Meanwhile, Maradona's Hand of God moment won his side the World Cup, although controversially. 

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LaLiga return by mid-June?

Amid suspension of football across Europe since March due to the coronavirus outbreak, there have been efforts to ensure an early LaLiga return. LaLiga teams have returned to training after every player was tested for coronavirus. It is claimed that the league will probably resume by mid-June. 

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