Lionel Messi was Barcelona’s hero once again on Sunday afternoon, scoring the winning goal against Atletico Madrid courtesy of another magnificent free-kick.The Argentine maestro stepped up in the 25th minute and curled a beautiful shot into the top corner of the net past Jan Oblak, one of the world’s finest goalkeepers right now.This was Messi’s fifth free-kick goal of the season. No other player in Europe’s top leagues has scored more than three goals directly from free-kicks this term. Is there a better free-kick taker in the world right now?It could also prove to be one of Messi’s most important goals this season. Atletico would have given themselves a real chance of winning La Liga had they secured three points at the Camp Nou on Saturday.But Messi’s winner widened Barça’s lead over Atleti to eight points - although it’s effectively a nine-point advantage when you take the head-to-head record into consideration.

Simeone: Atleti would have won if we had Messi

"If we take Messi and put him in an Atletico shirt, we win this match 1-0,” Atleti boss Diego Simeone said, per Sky Sports, after the match. “Messi is a special player, he made the difference.”

Busquets and Rakitic were also class

However, Messi wasn’t the only Barcelona player who produced the goods against Simeone’s side.

Ivan Rakitic was arguably Man of the Match while the Croatian’s midfield partner Sergio Busquets produced a typically effective performance in the middle of the park.

Watch: What Busquets did for Messi's free-kick

New footage also shows that Busquets, who is surely one of world football’s most under-appreciated midfielders, played a key role on Messi’s goal.

Thanks to Movistar, we can see Busquets in conversation with Rakitic and Gerard Pique after the free-kick is awarded.

The Spanish midfielder then stands shoulder-to-shoulder with his teammates just behind the Atletico wall.

Busquets and Rakitic are faced towards Messi while Pique is looking straight at Oblak.

Watch the footage here…

The plan to obstruct Oblak's view worked perfectly

Busquets’ idea was to obscure Oblak’s view and when you watch the free-kick from the other angle you can see the goalkeeper straining his neck to get a better view of Messi.

Here's the free-kick from the opposite angle...

By the time Oblak saw the ball fly over the wall, he was unable to react in time to prevent it from hitting the back of the net.

Busquets’ clever plan had worked to perfection.