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An insane second-half free-kick from Barcelona captain Lionel Messi and another late goal from the Argentine saw Barcelona defeat Espanyol 2-0 in the Catalan derby.
After 29 games, Barcelona are now 13 points clear at the top of the table while the second-placed Atletico Madrid has accumulated 56 points, having played a game less. With just nine more matches to go in the LaLiga campaign this season, Barcelona are well on course to lift another title.
Meanwhile, Espanyol's miserable season continues as they are just nine points above the relegation zone with 34 points. Another loss saw their poor performance continue and were pushed down to 14th place in the table.
The Blaugrana were frustrated in the first half as they failed to convert the chances against a defensive and gritty Espanyol side. Suarez, Mess, and Coutinho came close but Espanyol's five-man defense proved a huge barrier in the first half of the game. Barcelona stepped up in the second half but Messi saw a goal ruled out due to offside.
Eventually, the perfect opportunity presented itself as Lionel Messi got a freekick just outside the penalty box in the 71st minute. Messi tried to chip in with a slow shot which seemed more like a Panenka penalty and despite the goalkeeper's best efforts to reach there, the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Messi deservedly got huge applause from Barcelona fans and kissed his badge during the celebration. He added another goal late in the game to seal the victory which was anything but comfortable in the end. The two goals took Messi's tally to 41 goals in all competition, which portrays once again that the Argentine genius is head and shoulders above the rest.
This was obviously another Lionel Messi show as the Espanyol side was difficult to break down until that insane free-kick from the Argentine genius. Messi has scored six direct free-kick goals against Espanyol, more than any other team in his career.
Also see : Copa America Schedule, Copa America Standings
Twitter exploded after the Argentine genius' panenka freekick. Here are the reactions.
