Lionel Messi came through for Barcelona again, scoring with a perfectly struck free kick to give the defending champions a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao and a spot in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. It was Messi's third decisive free kick goal in the last three Barcelona matches. In addition to scoring in the first leg against Athletic, the Argentina playmaker saved Barcelona from a loss in the Spanish league on Sunday by finding the net with a 90th-minute free kick at Villarreal .
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