Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona beat Sampdoria 3-2 in the annual Joan Gamper Trophy match at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.
Messi assisted on the first goal of the match in the 16th minute when he controlled a chip into the penalty area with his chest and then passed it over his head with a bicycle kick to Luis Suarez who headed home at the far post.
Five minutes later, Messi would double Barcelona’s lead. Ivan Rakitic passed the ball over the Sampdoria defence and Messi controlled the ball, took one touch to his right to beat goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano and tap home to make it 2-0.
Two minutes later, Sampdoria would cut the lead back to one goal when a giveaway from Andres Iniesta allowed Fabio Quagliarella to play Luis Muriel in on goal for his team’s opener.
Messi was at it again in the second half with a perfectly placed free kick that left Viviano no chance and restored Barca’s two-goal lead.
Despite relentless pressure from the hosts, Samp would trim the lead to one goal before full-time when summer signing Ante Budimir controlled the ball and volleyed home to make it 3-2 in the 77th minute.
Barcelona travel to Sevilla for the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Aug. 14 (4 p.m. ET on ESPN), while Sampdoria kick off their Serie A campaign with a trip to Empoli on Aug. 21.
