- Manchester City welcome Barcelona to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night
- Lionel Messi has never scored at a Premier League ground in 12 hours of football
- City are set to welcome back Fernandinho but will be without Sergio Aguero
His goal-getting exploits have rewritten the record books in Spain – never, though, has Lionel Messi scored at a Premier League ground.
In eight appearances dating back to 2006 and taking in illustrious venues such as Stamford Bridge, Anfield, Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium, the Argentine is yet to locate the back of the net.
On Tuesday night, at the Etihad Stadium, he will be bidding to break his 717-minute duck.
Drought: In 12 hours of football at English top-flight grounds, Lionel Messi has never scored a goal for Barcelona
No hiding place: Messi makes his first appearance at the City of Manchester Stadium on Tuesday night and will be bidding to end his eight-game barren spell
Messi's barren run at Premier League grounds
2006: R16 - Chelsea 1-2 W
2006: G – Chelsea 1-0 L
2007: R16 – Liverpool 0-1 W
2008: QF – Man Utd 1-0 L
2009: SF – Chelsea 1-1 D
2010: QF – Arsenal 2-2 D
2011: R16 – Arsenal 2-1 L
2012: SF – Chelsea 1-0 L
2006: G – Chelsea 1-0 L
2007: R16 – Liverpool 0-1 W
2008: QF – Man Utd 1-0 L
2009: SF – Chelsea 1-1 D
2010: QF – Arsenal 2-2 D
2011: R16 – Arsenal 2-1 L
2012: SF – Chelsea 1-0 L
Paralleled with Messi’s malaise, meanwhile, has been the somewhat surprising struggle of his Barcelona comrades.
For not since 2007 have they tasted victory at an English top-flight stadium. There was, of course, the 3-1 Champions League final triumph over Manchester United at Wembley - in which Messi scored - but take them out of neutral territory and the English boys have had the edge in their own back yard.
Indeed, since 1994, Barca have played 17 times at Premier League grounds, winning just four, drawing five and slumping to eight defeats.
Messi’s failure to score, however, is all the more baffling. This is a player whose goals return outstrips his matches played. A player for whom the art of scoring is effortless.
His first appearance in England came in 2006, the then 18-year-old helping Barca to a 2-1 last-16 victory at Chelsea. They went on to beat Arsenal in the final in Paris.
Welcome to England: Messi's first appearance on these shores was during a 2-1 victory at Chelsea in 2006
Blue order: Chelsea were 1-0 winners over Barca in the group stage of 2006/07
The following season he was back at the Bridge for a Champions League group encounter. The Blues, thanks to Didier Drogba’s goal, were 1-0 winners.
He did enjoy a 1-0 victory in his only appearance at Liverpool in that season’s last 16, but it was the Reds who were away-goals victors en route to the final, where they were beaten by Milan.
That proved Messi’s – and Barca’s – last success at an English top-tier venue.
In 2008 there was much hype surrounding Messi when he made his Old Trafford bow in the quarter-final. A goalless draw at the Nou Camp had left the tie delicately poised heading to the North-West, but it was the hosts who nicked it courtesy of Paul Scholes’ early strike.
Hair raiser: Messi and Barca's last victory at a Premier League ground came against Liverpool in 2007
Oh no: Messi was part of the Barca side beaten at Old Trafford in the 2008 semi-final
He beats Cole but there's no goal: Messi again failed to score during a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the 2009 semi-final
One year on they were back on these shores and, after another stalemate in Spain, they ventured to the Bridge where a 1-1 draw saw them through to the final and a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in Rome.
In successive seasons between 2010 and 2011 Barca met Arsenal, first at the round of 16 stage and then in the last four. A 2-2 draw at the Emirates was followed by a 2-1 defeat 12 months later; on both occasions, however, the Spaniards progressed over two legs.
Not on Song: Barca drew 2-2 at Arsenal in 2010 but Messi, pictured here challenged by current team-mate Alex Song, did not find the back of the net
Crowded out: Messi could not score 12 months on as Arsenal were the 2-1 winners in North London
And so to Messi’s last appearance in England, a semi-final date at Chelsea in 2012. Beaten 1-0 in West London and held to a 2-2 draw in Catalonia, Messi had once again failed to influence his genius.
The pressure, then, is very much on, for both Barca and their star player.
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