Showing posts with label Jordi Alba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jordi Alba. Show all posts

Monday, 15 February 2016

Barcelona Hit Six Past Vigo

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Lionel Messi handed his strike-partner Luis Suárez a hat-trick on a plate with an audaciously taken penalty as Barcelona beat Celta Vigo 6-1 in La Liga on Sunday.

The Argentina superstar rolled his 81st-minute spot-kick into Suárez’s path to allow him to complete his treble as the hosts at Camp Nou recovered from a low-key start to win in style and maintain top place. Had Messi scored the penalty himself, it would have been his 300th La Liga goal.

Barça were far from their fluent best before the break but took a 20th-minute lead when Messi, having gone close with an earlier attempt, curled a superb free-kick over the wall and beyond keeper Sergio Álvarez’s despairing dive.

But the lead was extinguished six minutes before the break when, having been tripped by Jordi Alba, the Celta striker John Guidetti scored the resulting penalty despite goalkeeper Claudio Bravo going the right way.

Suárez restored the home side’s lead when he played a delicious 59th-minute one-two with Messi and nonchalantly dispatched the return pass, and it was 3-1 15 minutes from time when he stabbed Neymar’s shot over the line after Messi and the Brazilian had torn the visitors apart.

The Uruguay striker completed his hat-trick in outrageous fashion and further goals from substitute Ivan Rakitic and Neymar completed the rout.


Friday, 11 July 2014

Messi Sets Barca Goal Record

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Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to become Barcelona's all-time record goalscorer as they cut the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to four points ahead of their meeting next weekend with a 7-0 thrashing of Osasuna.

After a slow start, the hosts were sparked into life by Messi's opening goal as he flicked home at the near post from Alexis Sanchez's cross.

Sanchez was next on the scoresheet as he finished off a similar move involving Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba before Iniesta's wonderful strike from 25 yards made it 3-0.

Messi then broke another record by registering his 370th Barca goal to overtake Paulinho Alcantara as the club's record marksman before rounding off his hat-trick in between further strikes from Cristian Tello and Pedro Rodriguez.

"The victory is very important because we remain four points behind Madrid," Sanchez told Canal Plus.

"We played a great game and I am happy with my performance as I scored and provided an assist."

Next up for Barcelona is a trip to the Santiago Bernabéu next Sunday and Sanchez is sure they can get themselves back into the title race by ending Madrid's five-month unbeaten run in all competitions.

"I think we can beat Real Madrid in the Bernabéu and that would put us right in the fight for La Liga.

"Both teams will see themselves as favourites, they are the two biggest clubs in the world and it will be a great game. We are going to the Bernabéu with only the intention of winning."

Amazingly, Barca had to withstand a bright opening from Osasuna as Victor Valdes produced a great save to deny Emiliano Armenteros and Oriol Riera was rightly flagged offside as he put the rebound into the net.

However, the Catalans opened the scoring 10 minutes later when Sanchez was fed by Xavi and Messi got across his man to delicately touch home the Chilean's low cross.

Sanchez should have doubled his side's advantage two minutes later when he chipped over with just Andres Fernandez to beat, but the former Udinese man made amends when he side-footed home after a lovely one-two between Alba and Iniesta opened up the Osasuna defence.

Iniesta then made it 3-0 with just his second goal of the season 11 minutes before half-time with a sweetly struck left-footed effort that flew into the top corner.

Fernandez was forced into fine saves from Dani Alves and Xavi to ensure Barca didn't go in even further ahead at the break.

Osasuna should have got themselves back in the game early in the second-half as Riera and Roberto Torres failed to hit the target when presented with clear sights of goal.

They were soon further behind, though, as Messi slammed home Iniesta's cutback just after the hour mark to surpass Alcantara's 369 goals in 357 games between 1912 and 1927.

Substitute Tello got his side's fifth goal with virtually his first touch as he whipped the ball into the far corner from just outside the area.

Messi fittingly sealed his hat-trick as he received Dani Alves' pass before easily side-footing in from close range for his 31st goal of the season.

And Messi then teed up Pedro to make it 7-0 in stoppage time with a neat low finish past Fernandez.