Barcelona came out on top at Camp Nou Wednesday with a 3-0 friendly win over Italian side A.S. Roma, but it wasn’t without some controversy.
In the 34th minute with Barcelona leading by a goal, Lionel Messi appeared to headbutt Frenchman Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and then grabbed the defender by the throat.
The Argentine superstar avoided a red card, but both Messi and Yanga-Mbiwa were given yellows by the referee.
Messi went on to score a goal in the 41st minute before being substituted off at the one-hour mark.
The 28-year-old has never been shown a red card while with Barcelona, and has only been sent off once in his career while playing his international debut for Argentina.
