Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde’s gamble in resting Lionel Messi backfired against lowly Villarreal and it took a Luis Suarez goal with the last kick of the game to rescue a point in a 4-4 draw.

The Argentina international was left on the bench for an hour as Valverde tried to give his star man a break with next week’s clash against second-placed Atletico Madrid followed by a Champions League quarter-final against Manchester United.

But they were heading for a first league defeat since November when they squandered a 2-0 lead to be 4-2 down in the 90th minute.

Messi drilled home a rasping free-kick before Suarez’s low, left-footed half-volley from a corner with three seconds remaining crept inside the post.

It ensured they hold an eight-point advantage over Atleti, who beat Girona 2-0 earlier in the evening, ahead of next weekend’s meeting.

Check out the video below to see Messi score his sixth free-kick in La Liga this season.

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