Xavi: 'Lionel Messi's first goal was scandalous'

Barcelona captain Xavi has lavished praise on Lionel Messi following the Catalan outfit's Copa del Rey success.

Barca lifted the trophy for a 27th time on Saturday as they recorded a 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou.

Messi scored a memorable first in the final, with the Argentine dribbling past five players before finishing into the bottom corner.

Xavi, who was making his final appearance at the Camp Nou, has admitted that he was left dumbfounded by the strike.

"Messi's first goal was scandalous, awesome. I think it's one of the best goals he's ever scored," Xavi told reporters.

Barcelona will face Juventus in the Champions League final on June 6.