Lionel Messi dips in panenka free-kick against Espanyol

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi scored twice in the club's 2-0 win over Espanyol on Saturday.

A second-half brace from Messi, including this absurd panenka free-kick, was enough to send Barcelona 13 points clear at the top of La Liga with Atletico Madrid trying to keep their slender title hopes alive when they play Alaves on Saturday night. https://twitter.com/Metro_Sport/status/1112037065544400896 Messi returned recently for Argentina during the side's 3-1 loss to Venezuela and he pleaded with fans for patience ahead of this year's Copa America finals in Brazil.

"Do you know the number of times I've replayed the final and the chances we had? It would have been so different if we'd scored one of them," he said. "Being realistic, a lot of work is needed to be a powerhouse. These kids have played very few matches for the national team. We need to be patient and I have no doubt that we are going to be strong."