Lionel Messi headbutts Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa before scoring just seven minutes later as Barcelona beat Roma 3-0 in 'friendly'
- Lionel Messi threw an aggressive headbutt at Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa when the pair squared up after an altercation
- A melee then ensued as the Argentine grabbed the French defender by the neck and pushed him away
- They were both separated by Roma's Leandro Castan and referee Javier Estrada Fernandez before being booked
- Messi then scored seven minutes later in the 41st minute after Neymar had opened the scoring in the 27th
- Champions League final goalscorer Ivan Rakitic then netted the final goal at the Nou Camp in the 66th minute
Lionel
Messi narrowly escaped being sent off after headbutting Mapou
Yanga-Mbiwa as Barcelona's friendly with Roma became anything but
friendly on Wednesday night.
Roma
knew they were in for a frustrating evening at the Nou Camp chasing the
shadows of the European champions and after going 1-0 down to Neymar's
opener, French international Mapou lost his temper with Messi leaning
his head in towards the Barcelona No 10 and making clear contact.
Messi
responded by butting the French defender and grabbing him by the
throat. The Spanish referee Javier Estrada Fernandez could easily have
sent both players off - Mapou for the original aggression and Messi for
the retaliation but instead showed the pair yellow cards and the game
continued 11 against 11.
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Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi (right) launched an astonishing headbutt at Roma defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa
The Argentine No 10 squared up to the former Montpellier and Newcastle United centre half as they initially touched foreheads
The irritated Barca team captain on the day then aggressively threw his head downwards into Yanga-Mbiwa's face
The 28-year-old then grabbed the towering 26-year-old France international by the neck with his left hand and pushed him
Roma's Brazilian defender Leandro
Castan (centre) and Spanish referee Javier Estrada Fernandez then
attempted to separate the pair
Alessandro
Florenzi was then booked for going cynically through the back of Neymar
and Radja Nainggolan made it a hat-trick of cautions for the visitors
in the first half when he went into the book for complaining.
But
it was impossible for things to turn too ugly as Barcelona produced
some of the beautiful football that won them the Treble last season to
beat Rudi Garcia's team.
Their
second goal was picture book with Luis Suarez dribbling in from the
right past Vasilis Torosidis and feeding Dani Alves who teed-up Neymar.
He laid the ball off to Messi who found the corner with a vicious curling shot.
That doubled Barca's lead after the Brazilian had opened on the scoring on 26 minutes.
Messi then scored just seven minutes after the 34th minute altercation, in which both players were booked
Neymar picked up the ecstatic goalscorer Messi as the Nou Camp crowd started the party before the upcoming La Liga season
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