Date: February 25, 2005Competition: Copa del Rey – Semi-Final, First LegFixture: FC Barcelona vs. Real BetisVenue: Camp Nou, BarcelonaAttendance: 78,000Weather: Clear, 10°CKickoff: 9:00 PM
The crowd was louder than usual.
Maybe it was the stakes.Maybe it was the absence of Ronaldinho.Or maybe, just maybe, it was the boy with the number 30 on his back.
For the first time in his career, Lionel Messi walked onto the Camp Nou pitch as a starter in a cup semi-final.
His heartbeat didn't race.His hands didn't shake.
Only his eyes flickered — not with nerves, but with need.
First Half
Barcelona pressed early. Deco and Xavi moved in rhythmic triangles. Eto'o stretched the line. But Betis were organized, sitting deep, waiting.
The first 15 minutes were a midfield chess match.
Then came the crack.
Minute 19
Xavi picked up the ball near the halfway line. Messi had dropped into the right channel, just behind the midfield. He called once — softly — and Xavi found him with a curling ground pass.
Messi turned on the half-touch, glided forward with three quick steps.
A defender lunged. Messi dipped his shoulder, slid left, and kept going.
Another came. A simple nutmeg.The crowd rose.
He reached the edge of the box and curled a left-footed strike toward the far corner.
Saved.
A fingertip push wide. The Camp Nou gasped.
"It's coming," Rijkaard murmured on the sideline."Let the boy dance."
Minute 33
Betis countered off a Barcelona corner. Fast break. Two passes and their striker was through.
Valdés came out, made himself big — but couldn't stop the chip.
GOAL. Betis 1–0.
Camp Nou fell into stunned silence.
Messi walked back to the center circle, chewing his lip.
Then, he clenched his fists.
"Play faster," he told Xavi quietly.
Minute 38
Barcelona responded.
Messi received a diagonal from Sylvinho. One touch to kill it, another to flick it ahead. He drew two defenders, paused — then sliced a perfectly weighted through ball to Eto'o.
Shot. GOAL.
1–1. Assist: Messi.
The stadium came alive again. The boy had answered.
Halftime
In the locker room, Rijkaard spoke little.He just looked at Messi and said:
"They're afraid of you now. Make it count."
Second Half
Barcelona played with more bite. Deco and Xavi found rhythm. Sylvinho pushed higher. Eto'o stretched defenders.
Minute 53
Messi found the ball on the right wing, near the touchline. The crowd hushed.
He beat one man. Then another. He entered the box, dragging defenders.
He cut back sharply. The angle looked tight.
And then, he chipped it — not across goal, but over the keeper at the near post.
GOAL. 2–1. Messi.
The stadium erupted.
Fans were on their feet. Rijkaard clapped once, then just shook his head.
Even Ronaldinho, watching from the director's box, smiled.
"He's not replacing me," he said to a teammate beside him."He's becoming himself."
Minute 75
Barcelona were in control, but Messi wasn't done.
He tracked back to help defend, won the ball cleanly, then sprinted 60 yards in a counterattack.
He could've gone alone.
Instead, he slid the ball to Iniesta, who fed Eto'o for a tap-in.
GOAL. 3–1.
Messi's second assist.Barcelona flying.
Final Whistle
Barcelona 3–1 Real BetisGoals: Eto'o (38', 75'), Messi (53')Assists: Messi (2), Iniesta (1)
The crowd chanted his name as he walked off.
"MESSI! MESSI! MESSI!"
But he didn't raise his arms.He didn't even smile much.
He just pointed to the crest on his shirt — once — then walked toward the tunnel.
Post-Match Interview
Reporter: "Lionel, you were man of the match tonight. Two assists and a goal. How do you feel?"
Messi:
"Good. But it's only the first leg."
Reporter: "You looked comfortable out there. Confident. Do you feel like a leader now?"
Messi:(quietly)
"I feel like a teammate."
Notebook Entry – February 25, 2005
Anto,Tonight I started. I played the whole match. I gave two assists. I scored.The noise was unreal. But I kept thinking about the ball. It felt soft tonight — like it trusted me.I think I'm starting to belong here.But this isn't the end. It's just the next step.— Leo
Lionel Messi – Updated Stats (as of Feb 25, 2005)
Season (Club):
Matches: 29
Goals: 18
Assists: 19
Free Kick Goals: 1 (match), 3 (training)
Dribbles Completed: 141
Fouls Suffered: 64
Latest Match Impact:
vs. Real Betis: 1 Goal, 2 Assists, 8 successful dribbles, 3 fouls suffered
Total Career Stats (Club + Country)
Total Matches: 29
Total Goals: 18
Total Assists: 19
Dribbles Completed: 141
National Team Matches: 0 (official)
National Team Goals/Assists: 0 / 0
Next Fixture Preview:
La Liga – Matchday 20
Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao
Date: February 28, 2005
League Standings:
1st: Barcelona – 54 pts
2nd: Real Madrid – 51 pts
3rd: Villarreal – 48 pts
Around Europe:
Arsenal's unbeaten run at home ends. Thierry Henry still tops the Premier League scoring charts.
Kaka scores again for Milan, sparking Ballon d'Or whispers.
Real Madrid's Robinho rumored to be joining next season.
Rumors grow that Argentina may test U-20 players with the senior squad before summer.