The Argentine attacker set up three goals in a Liga match for the first time, added a superb strike of his own and saw a spot-kick saved in a performance only he could produce.
..It is a potential quiz question for the future. Which Barcelona player set up three goals, scored and missed a penalty against Getafe in March 2016? The answer, however, will be too easy. Because it could only be Lionel Messi.
The Argentine attacker produces so much sublime stuff for the Catalan club that his spot-kick struggles in recent times are something of a mystery. Not that it matters much, however, and it shows the watching world that even the game's greatest player is prone to human error, giving us the occasional glimpse that he is really a mere mortal after all.
Messi racked up three assists in a Liga game for the first time as Barca battered Getafe 6-0 on Saturday and it could have been more as the 28-year-old found Neymar time and time again with some brilliant balls into the Brazilian's path all through the game.
He was also on the scoresheet himself, blasting home from outside the box with a low drive. Earlier, he had seen his spot-kick saved in that same corner by Vicente Guaita. If anything, however, it merely motivates him to play even better instead of affecting him negatively and the five-time Ballon d'or winner came close to a stunning solo effort late on after a remarkable run into the box. Forget the penalty, this was another Messi masterclass.
The Argentine now has 23 goals in just 18 games in 2016 and 12 assists in that time, while Neymar's double against Getafe mean all three of Barca's MSN trident have surpassed 20 league goals in the current campaign.
Luis Suarez was rested ahead of Barca's Champions League clash against Arsenal at Camp Nou on Wednesday and the Uruguayan may also sit out the league game versus Villarreal next weekend because a booking in that match would see the striker suspended for the visit of Real Madrid in the Clasico on April 2.
In any case, Barca seem unstoppable at the moment and Messi's increased generosity - a big feature of his game since the arrival of Luis Enrique as coach - sees the Blaugrana chasing a second successive treble after they won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in 2014-15.
Luis Suarez was rested ahead of Barca's Champions League clash against Arsenal at Camp Nou on Wednesday and the Uruguayan may also sit out the league game versus Villarreal next weekend because a booking in that match would see the striker suspended for the visit of Real Madrid in the Clasico on April 2.
In any case, Barca seem unstoppable at the moment and Messi's increased generosity - a big feature of his game since the arrival of Luis Enrique as coach - sees the Blaugrana chasing a second successive treble after they won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in 2014-15.
"It's a perfect situation," Luis Enrique said after the match. "Whoever I pick, the team competes well." And he added: "Getafe left us very little space, but there was always a Barca player there to create them."
More often than not, that player was Messi. The Argentine has missed four out of his eight penalties in La Liga this season, but it is worth remembering that he converted from the spot when it mattered most: away to Arsenal in the Champions League last month. And it is all the other things he is capable of that will cause concern for the Gunners.
Arsenal visit Camp Nou on Wednesday, but Arsene Wenger will take little comfort from Messi's latest penalty failure. Instead, he will be worried about how he can possibly stop the Argentine's wonderful diagonal balls for Neymar and Suarez, the pinpoint passing, the dribbling, the visionary moves and the superb shooting.
And in all probability, he won't be able to.
"If Messi is at 100 per cent physically, it is impossible to try to stop him," former Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said this week. "No matter who the coach is and what his strategy is. His enormous talent makes it nearly impossible to anticipate what he will do, so there is no way to keep him quiet."
And with Barca winning games by three, four, five and six goals at the moment, the missed penalties are merely an anecdotic anomaly for a side in the pursuit of perfection in week in, week out with their attacking play.
So the spot-kicks are surely something for Messi (and Neymar and Suarez) to improve upon, but hardly the most important thing for a player capable of setting up three goals in one game and adding stunning strikes of his own.
Good luck with all that, Arsenal.
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