Messi 8/11 to break Barcelona’s scoring record this season

Before the start of the season, Lionel Messi would have had to eclipse his own exceptionally high standards to become Barcelona’s all-time record goal scorer this campaign, but a fine start has left him on track to do so.

Cesar Rodriguez currently tops Barcelona’s all-time scoring charts with 235 goals and with Messi unlikely to leave the Nou Camp any time soon, it is a given that this record will be his in the near future.

However, the big question is whether he will surpass Rodriguez this season.

Messi began the campaign needing 56 goals to move past the 1940’s hitman and he has made a fine start to chasing down this figure, with 14 goals in his ten Barcelona appearances so far this season.

It is 8/11 that Messi is Barcelona’s all-time top scorer by the end of the season, but there are reasons to be sceptical.

Messi’s best ever single-season return is the 53 goals he managed last season and this was with Barcelona winning the Champions League and him playing in virtually all of their La Liga matches.

There is the obvious threat of injury cutting short his campaign, while there are no guarantees that Barcelona will play as many games in total as in the last season, which may mean earlier exits in both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.

Throw in that Messi is still to score in a La Liga away game this season, the better bet may be the 1/1 that he fails to beat the record in this campaign.

Barcelona’s next fixture is away at Sporting Gijon and Messi is sure to have a major impact on the final result.

Pep Guardiola’s team are 1/6 in the La Liga odds to beat Sporting Gijon, although the corresponding fixture last season ended in a draw.