Barcelona's Lionel Messi during the Spanish Supercopa final soccer match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao at La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Miguel Morenatti)Lionel Messi avoided a tougher sanction and was suspended for only two matches on Tuesday after hitting an opponent in an incident away from the ball in the Spanish Super Cup final. The Spanish soccer federation’s competition committee did not deem the incident to be too serious and applied a less severe penalty. Referee Gil Manzano said in his match report that Messi hit his opponent with “excessive force” while the ball was not near him. Messi will miss Barcelona's matches against third-division club Cornellà in the Copa del Rey and against Elche in the Spanish league.