Messi drills Ronaldo in the face with free kick

Lionel Messi has drilled rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the face with a free kick, in a moment that will go down in folklore regarding the pair.

Just before half-time in the pair's El Clasico clash, Messi stepped up to the mark looking to score from a free kick just outside the box.

However what he got instead was probably the second best outcome for him, a brutal blow to the head of Ronaldo.

To Ronaldo's credit, he took the blow courageously, refusing to move out of the way of the strike on goal.

Some fans online even speculated Messi intended to hit Ronaldo smack bang in the face.

To make matters even better for the Argentinian star, he struck from the penalty spot in the second half of the 3-0 win, notching his 17th goal against Los Blancos in La Liga.

The Argentine has now netted more times against Madrid than any other player in the history of Spain's top flight, moving clear of Telmo Zarra, Guillermo Gorostiza and Silvestre Igoa.

This latest individual milestone is partly a consequence of Messi's longevity — he made his Barca debut in October 2004 and continues to excel at the highest level for the Catalan giants.

His goal from 12 yards out in the Spanish capital was also his 25th in all competitions against Madrid.

And that wasn't the only milestone Messi achieved on Saturday, with the 30-year-old also recording his 200th assist for Barca in all competitions.

That achievement came in second-half stoppage time, as Messi teed up Aleix Vidal to cap the scoring.

Messi and Barca extended their lead atop La Liga with the win, as the Catalans are now nine points clear of Atletico Madrid and 14 points ahead of fourth-placed Real.

It's been another prolific season for Messi, with the Barca star up to 14 goals in 17 matches in La Liga and 18 strikes in 25 appearances in all competitions.

With Goal.com