Messi kicks the ball at ref in frustration as Barcelona endure worst start in 18 years

Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, who was on the cusp of leaving the club this summer, has endured a difficult start to what could be his final season at the Camp Nou. The club captain, who scored a spot-kick against Juventus in the midweek fixture, has struggled for form in this campaign, having failed to score a single goal from open play so far. His frustration was on show when he kicked the ball at the referee during Barcelona's draw with Alaves on Saturday. 

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Lionel Messi kicks ball at referee, gets booked 

A howler from Neto led to Alaves' goal, with Luis Rioja taking the utmost advantage of the error. Minutes after the opener, in a major show of frustration, Messi kicked the ball, which narrowly missed referee Alejandro Hernandez. The referee immediately booked the six-time Ballon d'Or winner for the incident. 

Following the incident, some fans went to the extent of claiming that he should have been sent off, citing a similar scenario involving Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Real Madrid superstar was sent off and was also handed a ban after pushing the referee in the Spanish Super Cup final in 2017.

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Worst Barcelona LaLiga stats in 18 years 

The Argentina international has been receiving flak for his form since the start of the season. With three goals this campaign, Messi hasn't managed a single goal from open play. Nevertheless, Barcelona striker Antoine Griezmann went on to equalise against Alavaes just a minute after Jota was sent off in the second half.

The Frenchman succeeded in salvaging a draw for his side, but criticism continues to mount on manager Ronald Koeman, under whom the team have endured their worst start in the last 18 years with a similar situation prevailing during Louis van Gaal's second stint at the Camp Nou in the 2002-03 season. 

Also Read | 'I am worried', Koeman after Barcelona 1-1 draw at 10-man Deportivo Alaves

Barcelona fixtures: Blaugrana to play Kyiv in next fixture 

Barcelona began their LaLiga campaign with a promising 4-0 victory against Villarreal, following it up with a mesmerising display that led to a 3-0 triumph over Celta Vigo. The Catalan giants have, however, failed to maintain consistency on the field, losing two games with an equal number of games ending in a draw. 

Barcelona have bagged a mere eight points in six games, reminiscent of the fact that the Blaugrana are struggling for goals in the absence of Luis Suarez. The Camp Nou outfit sit 12th in the LaLiga table, nine points behind league leaders Real Sociedad albeit with two games in hand. The Barcelona fixtures list will see them next take on Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League on Wednesday.

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Image courtesy: AP