Barcelona, May 30 (EFE).– Two goals by Leo Messi set the seal on a second title for Barcelona this season, with its conquest of the Copa del Rey in this match coming on the heels of the La Liga championship it won earlier this month.

Barca downed Athletic Bilbao 1-3 in an unequal match in which the Argentine striker ruled, an unequal encounter in which Luis Enrique’s team scored its third straight victory in a final against Athletic Bilbao, following those it won in 2009 in Valencia and in 2012 in the Vicente Calderon Stadium.

Athletic never really got into the game, and minute 20 was the beginning of the end. An unstoppable Messi eluded Balenziaga, unbelievably outpaced Beñat and Rico, dodged Laporte and so many others to finally slam the ball past the near post to put his team ahead 1-0.

Athletic was on the defensive and Barca grew exponentially stronger, though Herrerin kept Neymar and Pique from scoring a couple of almost-goals for Barca.

But Neymar got even before the break – it all began with a fine triangulation between Messi and Alves and a pass slipped by Rakitic to Suarez. The Uruguayan, back in action after a muscle injury, got the ball to Neymar who made it 2-0 at minute 36.

With everything going its way, Barca played a calm, intelligent second half, giving the impression that it was in total control and that Athletic was desperate.

Taking a pass from Dani Alves, who might have played his last match at Camp Nou, Messi beat all the defenders to make it 3-0 at a quarter of an hour from the end.

Williams saved a little face for Bilbao, however, and made it 3-1 at minute 79.

That was it – the second title of the season for Barca and the sixth double in the history of a club that could make it a triple next week in Berlin if it succeeds in downing Juventus F.C. of Turin. EFE