Messi scores brace in Barca win at Alaves

Lionel Messi scored twice and saw a punishment spared as Barcelona kept up their ideal begin to the season in La Liga with a 2-0 win at Alaves on Saturday. 

Without new marking Ousmane Dembele, who finished the second most costly exchange ever by moving for 105 million euros ($125 million) from Borussia Dortmund on Friday, or the harmed Luis Suarez, Messi guaranteed Barca didn't lose any early ground in the title race in spite of a wild begin to the crusade off the field. 

The five-time World Player of the Year missed from the punishment spot for the twentieth time in his profession as Fernando Pacheco delivered a dazzling spare halfway through the main half. 

Notwithstanding, Messi wasn't to be denied as his diverted exertion opened the scoring not long after half-time before a sweetly-struck volley secured each of the three focuses. 

Alaves stunned Barca a year back by winning at the Camp Nou, and the hosts were left to mourn an once in a lifetime opportunity missed by Ruben Sobrino at 0-0 preceding capitulating to Messi's enchantment. 

Sobrino burst past the heavy footed Gerard Arouse on the half-hour stamp, yet put his shot excessively near Barca 'manager Marc-Andre ter Stegen as he hunkered down on objective. 

Arouse was included at the flip side as Barca were granted a punishment minutes after the fact when he was pulled to the ground by Rodrigo Ely at a Messi free-kick. 

Messi's record from the spot had enhanced enormously since he quickly quit global football in the wake of impacting a spot-kick over as Argentina lost the Copa America Centenario last to Chile minimal over a year prior. 

Be that as it may, Pacheco sprung to his privilege astonishingly to turn Messi's exertion round the post. 

Obviously irritated at himself, Messi reacted with the opening objective 11 minutes after the break as his intense low drive struck powerless Alaves safeguard Alexis to fly past Pacheco. 

Alexis was likewise to blame when Barca multiplied their leverage 11 minutes after the fact as his poor leeway was going by substitute Paco Alcacer into Messi's way to crush home on his favored left foot. 

Messi could even have had a cap trap as he saw another exertion from the edge of the crate hit the bar. 

However, Barca were never debilitated after the break by an Alaves side ailing in aspiration and assaulting ability as the hosts easily observed out a moment 2-0 win to start their alliance season.