Lionel Messi will likely be forced to consider purposely picking up a booking next weekend, when Barcelona face off with Osasuna.
Barca back on track
Ronald Koeman’s men were back in La Liga action this afternoon, making the trip to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, for a meeting with Sevilla.
The Catalans headed into proceedings on the back of a much-needed bounce-back result last time out, when they put a shaky week behind them courtesy of a 3-0 downing of Elche.
And, when all was said and done in Andalusia, Barca’s return to form continued.
An impressive all-round display eventually saw the Blaugrana emerge on the right side of a 2-0 scoreline, to jump back above Real Madrid into 2nd in the Spanish top-flight table.
Lionel Messi unsurprisingly proved the star of the show, first teeing up Ousmane Dembele for the game’s opener just shy of the half-hour mark:
Ousmane Dembele with a composed finish to break the deadlock! 😎
That goal is just what Barcelona needed 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/hiWwBbA041
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) February 27, 2021
And Barcelona’s talisman then turned goalscorer himself 5 minutes from time, killing off any remaining hope of a Sevilla comeback with a close-range finish, after seeing his initial effort kept out by Bono:
It took him two bites at it, but Messi finishes to all but seal the win for Barca! 🔵🔴
After a lengthy run without conceding, Bono was unlucky to concede a second of the day there 😬 pic.twitter.com/1Y5oFg6Uib
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) February 27, 2021
Messi closing on suspension
On an otherwise fine afternoon all-round for Messi, however, one concern was also forthcoming for the Argentine.
This came late in the first-half, when referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez flashed a yellow card in his direction.
This, as per Spanish outlet Sport, marked Messi’s 4th booking of the La Liga campaign, and brought him to within one further caution of a suspension.
Messi on verge of suspension https://t.co/Gj5sVkeFDC
— SPORT English (@Sport_EN) February 27, 2021
In turn, when taking into account Barcelona’s upcoming run of domestic fixtures, Messi will likely be highly tempted to purposely pick up yet another booking next weekend.
Koeman’s men are due to face Osasuna, before welcoming Huesca to the Camp Nou a week later.
The club’s captain missing out versus the latter should not prove too much of an issue, with the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann ready to pick up the attacking slack.
Following on from their meeting with Huesca, however, is a run of considerably tougher assignments, including showdowns with both Real Sociedad and Real Madrid.
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