Lionel Messi: Superstar Will Torment Real Madrid During 2012 Spanish Super Cup

The 2012 Spanish Super Cup will feature archrivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, and once again, Lionel Messi will be the thorn in the Galacticos’ side.

Messi often saves spectacular goals for El Clasico and unleashes piercing runs where he makes the world-class Madrid defenders look like hapless amateurs.

The 25-year-old broke Gerd Muller’s European record for goals in a season during his previous campaign, hitting the back of the net an astonishing 73 times in all competitions.

However, a sixth La Liga title and a fourth Champions League trophy evaded the world’s best player. He will be looking to record more historic statistics while ensuring that his club’s trophy case continues to fill up.

Messi’s performances for Argentina this summer are a sign that he is maturing and it is possible that his best season is still ahead. He had never recorded more than six goals in a calendar year for his country, but has already scored eight times in four matches this year.

The only criticism of Messi’s play in recent years has been his ability to perform for Argentina. He consistently failed to make an impact while wearing blue and white stripes in the past but he finally appears to be accepting the leadership role that his unparalleled talent demands him to take. 

Messi’s maturity will allow him to continue to come through for his club in the most important moments.

Matches with Real Madrid are always vital to the overall success of the season, and Messi has delivered in the past. He scored three goals in the two legs during last season’s Spanish Super Cup, leading Barça to a 5-4 victory on aggregate. 

To date, Messi has 13 goals and eight assists in 19 appearances against Madrid, according to ESPN FC. His ridiculous amount of talent has always made him a threat to unleash unstoppable performances in any match, but the fixtures against Madrid have always brought out the best in the Little Genius.

Now his talent and skill will be paired with his increasing maturity and understanding of how to lift his team up another level. His goal-scoring output will become less about volume and more about timing.

This is not to say that Messi's name will stop littering score sheets, but more of his goals will come at a time when the strike completely demoralizes the opposition or gives Barça a boost when they most desperately need it.

This season will mark Messi’s evolution from a remarkable talent to a complete footballer of a caliber that the world has not yet seen. He will achieve this status through signature goals in vastly important moments. Real Madrid should be wary during Thursday's Spanish Super Copa fixture, as they will certainly be first-hand witnesses to some of these strikes.