Barcelona confident Messi will avoid 4-match ban thanks to ref report | OneFootball

There's a confidence Barcelona captain Lionel Messi will avoid a four match ban for thumping Athletic Bilbao's Asier Villalibre last night.

Messi was dismissed for whacking Villalibre off the ball during Athletic Club's Supercopa de Espana final victory. The red card was shown after a VAR check.

In ref Jesus Gil Manzano's report, he stated: "Messi Cuccittini, Lionel Andres was sent off for the following reason: Hitting an opponent with his arm using excessive force while the ball was in play but not at a distance from being played."

It's suggested that Gil Manzano referring to "hitting" and not "attacking" will mean the automatic four match suspension will be avoided, despite the footage of the incident.

Instead, reports Sport, the Argentine is expected to receive a two match ban.