Lionel Messi almost pulled off an outrageous assist for Barcelona last night.
The Argentine maestro went on one of his trademark, mazy runs and fed Luis Suarez with an exquisite pass, only to see the chance missed.
Barcelona were leading 2-1 at local rivals Espanyol when Messi collected the ball inside his own half of the field.
The 32-year-old beat four Espanyol defenders on his run to the edge of the opposition penalty area then took a fifth out of the game with his ball to Suarez.
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The Uruguayan striker latched onto the perfect reverse pass and was left one-on-one with the goalkeeper from 12 yards out.
But Suarez shot straight at Espanyol goalkeeper Diego Lopez, meaning Messi's hard work was all in vain.
To make matters worse, Barcelona conceded a late equaliser and were held to a 2-2 draw.
David Lopez gave Espanyol the lead in the first half before Barca fought back with second-half strikes from Suarez and Arturo Vidal.
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But Frenkie De Jong's red card in the 75th minute opened the door for the home side, and they took advantage.
Wu Lei popped up in the 88th minute to drag Espanyol level and leave Messi and Co frustrated.
And it meant Barca missed the chance to pull clear of rivals Real Madrid atop La Liga.
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Both Spanish giants have amassed 40 points after 19 games, five points clear of Atletico Madrid in third place.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Barcelona, Lionel Messi