Watch: Lionel Messi despatched off; Athletic Bilbao beat Barca to carry Spanish Super Cup

Image Source : GETTY IMAGES Barcelona’s Lionel Messi reacts after getting despatched off in the course of the Supercopa de Espana Final match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club at Estadio de La Cartuja on Sunday evening.

Lionel Messi misplaced his cool after one other Barcelona collapse on Sunday, hitting an opponent away from the ball and being despatched off for the primary time whereas enjoying with the Catalan membership within the group’s 3-2 loss to Athletic Bilbao within the last of the Spanish Super Cup.

Iñaki Williams’ aim in further time gave Athletic the lead and a come-from-behind win. Barcelona had little likelihood of recovering when Messi swung his proper arm towards the pinnacle of an Athletic participant whereas attempting to free himself. Messi was proven the crimson card following a video evaluate.

The card got here in his 753rd look with Barcelona. He has been despatched off twice with Argentina, together with in his nationwide group debut in 2005. The different crimson card with Argentine got here within the 2019 Copa America.

Messi may face a prolonged suspension for his ejection on Sunday.

After Athletic scored within the ninetieth minute to seal a 2-2 draw and pressure further time, Williams netted the title-clinching aim with a neat curling shot from simply inside the realm, with the ball hitting the far put up earlier than going into the highest nook.

“Because of what it meant for the team, this is the best goal of my career,” Williams mentioned.

The aim three minutes into further time secured Athletic its third Super Cup title, and first because it beat Barcelona within the 2015 last. The Basque Country membership additionally received the title in 1984.

Barcelona was searching for its fifteenth Super Cup title, and third within the final 5 seasons. It was additionally trying to finish its title drought after going and not using a trophy final season, one thing that hadn’t occurred since 2007-08. The group acquired off to a sluggish begin this season and trails Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid within the Spanish league.

Messi, who requested to depart Barcelona within the offseason however had his request denied, had been uncertain to play within the last due to an unspecified health situation that had induced coach Ronald Koeman to depart him out of the semifinal towards Real Sociedad on Wednesday, when Barcelona prevailed in a penalty shootout.

He helped arrange Antoine Griezmann’s first aim on Sunday however was removed from his finest all through the match on the La Cartuja Stadium in Seville.

Barcelona opened the scoring with a shot from the center of the realm by Griezmann within the fortieth minute however Athletic equalized two minutes later with a close-range strike by Óscar de Marcos after a well-placed cross by Williams. Griezmann put Barcelona forward with one other shot from inside the realm within the 77th however Athletic evened the match once more with Asier Villalibre discovering the web following a set piece within the ninetieth.

Villalibre was the participant hit by Messi within the last minutes because the gamers tangled collectively exterior the realm. The ball was already on the left facet of the realm when the incident occurred.

Athletic, which beat defending champion Real Madrid 2-1 within the different semifinal, had a 57th-minute aim disallowed by video evaluate due to offside following a header by Raúl García, who had netted twice within the semifinal.

The last was the third match in cost for Athletic coach Marcelino García Toral. His debut had been towards Barcelona in a league recreation at residence, when Messi scored twice to assist the Catalan membership recuperate from an early aim by Williams and safe a 3-2 victory.

“The players deserve all the credit for this achievement,” the brand new coach mentioned. “They defeated Real Madrid and Barcelona to be able to win this trophy.”

Accompanying the Athletic squad in Seville was Aritz Aduriz, the membership’s former striker who was compelled to retire final season due to a hip harm.

When Athletic defeated Barcelona in 2015, the Spanish Super Cup last was nonetheless performed in two legs between the Spanish league and Copa del Rey winners.

This yr’s version was moved to southern Spain after the coronavirus pandemic stopped it from being performed in Saudi Arabia for a second straight season. The match’s revamped Final Four format consists of the highest two finishers within the Spanish league and the finalists of the Copa del Rey from the earlier season.