In the opening minute, Messi drives forward and is fouled, earning Barcelona a free kick in the attacking half.

Messi attacks down the right wing and is brought down again, winning another free kick for Barcelona.

From the ensuing set piece, Messi’s left‑footed shot from the centre of the box flies just over, narrowly missing the top left corner after a layoff from Seydou Keita.

Messi meets an Eric Abidal cross in the centre of the box, but his left‑footed effort is blocked by the defence.

Messi breaks the deadlock with a precise left‑footed shot from the right side of the box, drilling the ball into the bottom right corner for Barcelona’s opener.

Driving down the right wing, Messi is fouled once more and wins another free kick for Barcelona.

Messi threads a pass into the box for Xavi, whose right‑footed shot from the centre is saved by the goalkeeper.

Messi commits a foul late in the first half, stopping play and drawing the referee’s attention, though no booking is recorded in the key plays.

Just before the interval, Messi latches onto a through ball from Zlatan Ibrahimović and fires a left‑footed shot from the centre of the box, but the keeper saves low to his left.

Early in the second half, Messi again carries the ball into the attacking zone and is fouled, earning yet another free kick for Barcelona.