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Lionel Messi showed his class once again as Barcelona secured a stunning 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao to lift the Copa del Rey title. The Catalan giants came into this final under a lot of pressure after their loss against Real Madrid in the Clasico last weekend. However, a supreme second-half performance from Lionel Messi and Co ensured that Ronald Koeman would win his first major trophy as Barcelona manager.
After a well contested first half which saw Athletic Bilbao defend bravely, Barcelona started off the second half with verve and vigor looking to break open the opposition defense. The lead finally came in the 60th minute when some superb interplay between Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong set up Antoine Griezmann who made no mistake with his finish.
Just 3 minutes later, Frenkie de Jong was heavily involved once again as this time he stooped to score a simple headed goal from a Jordi Alba cross. Lionel Messi then took over as he scored a brilliant brace to put the tie beyond the reach of the Basque side.
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The Argentine maestro scored 2 stunning goals in the 68th and 72nd minute to lift his first Copa del Rey title as the Barcelona captain. Speaking to Barca TV after the match, Lionel Messi said:
"It's very special to be the captain of this club. It's a very special Copa for me because I'm able to lift it [myself].
"Not being able to celebrate it with our fans is a pity. The situation is what we have to live with. It's a shame. The Copas are always special and the fans enjoy them a lot."
After winning the Copa del Rey title, Lionel Messi immediately turned his attention to the La Liga title race and admitted that Barcelona did not start the season well:
"We found it difficult to get started in the first half of the season. We dropped points out of innocence. We've been getting stronger, very good, and we're in the title race. The other day, unfortunately, we weren't able to get a good result in the Clasico."
Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman had similar words of encouragement for his players and vowed to fight for the La Liga title. Speaking after the match to Marca, Koeman said:
“We are very happy and we deserved to win at least one title this season and we will fight for La Liga until the last game.
“The club deserves it. It is a happy day for all Catalans. It is a deserved success. We have made changes to the team this year, but the players have delivered.”
If Lionel Messi continues playing like this, Barcelona might very well end up winning the domestic double in Ronald Koeman's first season in charge of the club. Without further ado, let us take a look at the:
Best Tweets from Athletic Bilbao 0-4 Barcelona (Copa del Rey final)
Lionel Messi had a magical night for Barcelona
