Messi: 21 league games vs. Atletico with Barça and 21 goals
Barça will need the Argentine on form as they look to win at the Calderon on Sunday
Atletico Madrid are one of Lionel Messi's favourite 'victims'. The Barcelona forward has scored 21 goals in 21 league games against the Rojiblanco.
With Messi on the pitch, Barça have won 14 of those 21 games, drawing three and losing just four of them.
The numbers are good when focusing only on games at the Vicente Calderon, too. Messi has scored seven goals in 10 games at Atletico's home, resulting in six Barça wins and one draw.
In fact, with the Argentine starting, Barça have not lost at the Calderon in the league since Feb. 14 2010 (2-1). On that occasion, Messi did not score.
One of his most important goals came in the 0-1 win there in the 37th game of the 2014-15 season -- it was the goal which won Barça the title, one year after Atletico had won it at Camp Nou.
Looking at the Copa del Rey, Barça have beaten Atletico Madrid three times and Messi has scored four goals, including a hat-trick in a 1-3 win in 2009.
Messi hasn't had so much luck in the Champions League, though. Barça have lost on two ocassions at the Calderon in Europe (2013/14 1-0 and 2015/16 2-0) and he didn't score in either game.
In the current campaign, Messi scored at the Vicente Calderon last month in the Copa del Rey semi-final -- Barça went on to reach the final on May. 27.
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