Martino defends Messi as Alexis shines on

While Alexis Sanchez's 68th-minute strike was enough to hand the Catalan giants a 1-0 victory over city rivals Espanyol on Friday, Messi failed to score for the third game in a row.

As Sanchez's golden run in front of goal continued - the Chilean has now scored eight goals in seven matches in all competitions, Messi's poor form has attracted plenty of questions, although Martino remains unconcerned.

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