Barcelona’s star Lionel Messi was involved in quarrel with Roma defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa in a friendly match on Wednesday.
The football fans around the globe were stunned when the greatest soccer player in the world who was known and has been branded as “good boy” blasted his head to Mapou and grabbed the throat of Roma defender in “just” a friendly match. Messi losing his cool is a rare sight from the football field, which indeed marks as the rarest of Messi’s behavior of all time.
The pair was lucky not to be sent off the field whereas both players were given yellow cards after they got into a heated exchange in the pre-season friendly match, while Barcelona went on to win 3-0 at the Camp Nou stadium. The clash occurred in the first half of the match when La Liga champions were 1-0 up.
Earlier Neymar opened the scoring for Barcelona and assisted by Messi. The Barca duo, along with Luis Suarez, has hit 122 goals in Barca’s treble success last season. Messi scored a goal seven minutes after the ugly exchange as Barcelona team went 2-0 up before half time. Ivan Rakitic then added the third goal halfway through the second half to secure a comfortable victory.
“The aim is to keep on the same lines as we were at the end of the last season,” said Croatian international Rakitic during post-match. “I feel strong and the team is working well. This was only a friendly but we played to win as in any match,” he added.
Barca’s new players such as Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal were forced to sit on the bench due to a FIFA transfer ban and they will not be available until January. Up next, Barcelona will face Athletic Bilbao home and away in the Spanish Super Cup before their first La Liga fixture on August 23. IMAGE/AP
