Lionel Messi sent off in the final of the Barcelona Super Cup against Athletic Bilbao



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With his team squandering the lead twice over the course of the match, Messi’s frustrations boiled over in the final moments of the game as he waved an arm petulantly at Asier Villalibre.

There have been some reasons for optimism in Barcelona in recent weeks, with a series of improved performances helping the Catalan club climb to third place in La Liga.

Koeman was looking for his first trophy as a manager and his team got off to the best possible start, with Antoine Griezmann giving Barcelona the lead five minutes before half-time.

Lionel Messi walks away with difficulty after receiving a red card.

However, the lead lasted just two minutes when Oscar de Marcos sneaked behind Barcelona’s static backline to convert an Iñaki Williams cross home.

Despite Bilbao having the best game in the second half, Greizmann appeared to have given Barcelona the winner with just 13 minutes to go, only for Villalibre to tie in the final minute of the game.

It took Bilbao just four minutes of extra time to find the winning goal, with Williams firing an impressive shot from the post to give the Basque club its first major trophy since winning this same competition in 2015.

Things would still get worse for Barcelona as the VAR picked up on Messi’s latest act of violent conduct, meaning the Argentine could now miss the next four national matches.

It was Messi’s first red card in Spanish soccer since he was sent off 15 years ago by Barcelona B against Peña Sport, and the only other red cards of his career were for the Argentine team.

Lionel Messi received the first red card of his career at Barcelona.

Juve and Ronaldo stumble

Juventus have been crowned Serie A champions for nine consecutive seasons, but it looks like the Turin club’s dominance over the Scudetto may finally be coming to an end.

La Anciana was defeated 2-0 by Inter Milan thanks to goals from Arturo Vidal and Nicolo Barella, as Antonio Conte’s team tied on points with the city’s rival, AC Milan, at the top of the table.

There was some controversy with Vidal prior to kick-off, as video footage appeared to show him kissing the Juventus badge on Giorgio Chiellini’s chest as he greeted his former teammate.

Arturo Vidal hugs his former Juventus teammate Andreo Pirlo full time.

Vidal spent four years at Juventus between 2011 and 2015, winning seven major titles during his time at the club.

After the match, Vidal denied intending to kiss the shield and there was certainly no question of the Chilean’s loyalty once the match started, as his header gave Inter a deserved advantage.

Barella secured all three points in the second half and Juventus remain in fifth place, now seven points behind the two Milan clubs.

Arturo Vidal celebrates his first goal with Romelu Lukaku.

The victory was also Conte’s first at the Derby d’Italia as Inter’s manager, having previously managed Juventus between 2011 and 2014.

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