Crisis, what crisis?
Madrid, Sunday
Another final, two more brilliant goals, and another winner’s medal – was it Lionel Messi’s last in a Barcelona shirt?
It didn’t look like it as he celebrated winning the Spanish Cup with a 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
It should also be noted that, with his 33 years, he ran from the half way line to start and finish the move that brought the brilliant third goal.
He scored the fourth too and he celebrated it all like a man, not checking out, but ready to prolong his stay.
Messi’s first, Barça’s third, was as good a goal as you’ll see in any final. He led the charge from just inside the Athletic half and twice swapped passes with Frenkie de Jong before sending one last defender, Unai Nunez, spinning and dispatching the ball past Unai Simon.
It was no more than Barcelona deserved having dominated the first half without scoring and if Messi was man-of-the-match, De Jong was not far behind him setting up the first and scoring the second.
It was on the hour-mark when Messi drew the Athletic swarm to him and then released De Jong down the right.
He crossed to Antoine Griezmann and the Frenchman turned the ball past Simon.
Four minutes later it was two and this time De Jong applied the finishing touch.
Jordi Alba crossed from the left. It bounced once and De Jong crouched to dive head it past Simon.
Then came Messi’s masterpiece and he got a quick second, drilling Jordi Alba’s cross home.
Griezmann thought he had added a fifth but VAR ruled the goal out for offside. Athletic were saved from further punishment by the final whistle.
The longer the game went on the worse the score would have been. Barcelona should have started the scoring in the first half.
There were just three minutes up when Sergio Busquets put the ball over the top for Messi and he crossed to De Jong who hit the post.
Messi was pumped up and he played an incredible pass through a crowded area to Griezmann who, in turn, pulled the ball back to Messi whose shot was saved.
When Athletic Bilbao finally threatened it was from a set-piece with Alex Berenguer’s lateral free-kick almost turned in by Iñigo Martinez – he got his toe to it but could not send it past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
On 20 minutes Messi zigzagged inside the penalty area again but this time his shot was saved by Simon.
Possession was now running at around 89-11 in Barcelona’s favour but still they had not made it pay.
Ronald Koeman did have Ronald Araujo warming up but it didn’t seem to be because fit again Gerard Pique had a problem – twice he cut out danger created by Iñaki Williams trying to launch a counter.
Messi had another shot saved this time by Yeray Alvarez who blocked his attempt after he played a clever one two with the Oscar.-AFP
