Barcelona stuffed Espanyol at the Camp Nou in Saturday’s local derby to extend their lead at the summit of La Liga to a full 10 points.
Lionel Messi scored both the goals in a fairly comfortable 2-0 win, first breaking the deadlock in the 71st minute with the most impudent of set-pieces.
You’ve heard of Panenka penalties – of course you have, we all have, they’re positively passé these days – but what about *Panenka freekicks*?
The man’s a relentless maverick. Just casually rinky-dinking it in from 20 yards with all the harmonious tranquillity of a falling leaf.
Messi went on to score again in the 89th minute to see off Espanyol and leave Barca sitting pretty at the top with nine games left to play.
His brace also saw Messi reach the 40-goal mark for a tenth consecutive season, which is actually a bit insane when you think about it.
Frightening prospect, but is it possible that he’s actually getting better?