La Liga 2016/17: Espanyol 0-3 Barcelona, 5 talking points

#4 Messi’s brilliant run undid Espanyol’s hard work

The Argentine turned a nothing ball into a break

Lionel Messi proved to be the telling difference yet again, in a game in which he was tightly marked and closed down. The Argentine turned a nothing ball into a break and ran through the heart of Espanyol’s midfield to top of the box and set up Rakitic for a simple finish.

The Croatian midfielder made no mistake by slotting the ball into the net to score his 8th goal in La Liga. But it was Messi’s run that undid Espanyol’s hard work.