Messi Win Over Chile for Argentina

Lionel Messi’s return sparked Argentina to a 2-1 win over Chile in Santiago on Thursday, breathing new life into their South American qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup.

Messi, who had missed the first four games last year with a knee injury, laid on the 24th-minute winner for defender Gabriel Mercado after Angel Di Maria had cancelled out Felipe Gutierrez’s opener for Chile.

Argentina, beaten finalists at the last World Cup in Brazil, moved up to fourth in the 10-team group on eight points from five games. The top four qualify automatically for Russia with the fifth-ranked team going into an intercontinental playoff.

“We had to win in whatever way we could,” Messi told broadcasters TyC Sports. “I was glad to be back to help this group of players who fight for every point to the death.”

Chile, who had beaten Argentina in the Copa America final in Santiago last July, took the lead after 10 minutes when Gutierrez took advantage of poor defending at a corner to head past goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

The home side dominated the opening quarter of an hour as Argentina struggled to find their feet but the tide turned when Di Maria curled a right-footed shot past Claudio Bravo for the equaliser 10 minutes later. Argentina then pulled ahead when Messi won a tussle for the ball inside the box and lifted it over to right back Gabriel Mercado, who hooked the ball home past Bravo.

Chile drove forward in the second half searching for the equaliser, keeping Messi in check and Argentina on the back foot. Fabian Orellana forced a diving save from Romero, substitute Mauricio Pinilla hit the side netting and Alexis Sanchez hit a 90th-minute free kick over the bar but the home side were unable to break through.

The defeat leaves Chile in sixth place on seven points, six behind leaders Ecuador, who needed a stoppage-time goal by Angel Mena to rescue a 2-2 draw at home to Paraguay. The draw ended a run of four straight wins for Ecuador but they remain the only unbeaten team in the group.

Joining Chile on seven points are Colombia, who got an injury-time winner from Edwin Cardona to beat Bolivia 3-2. Venezuela, bottom of the group and without a point, are currently in action against next-to-last Peru in Lima. Second-placed Uruguay play Brazil, who are fifth, in Recife on Friday.

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Messi Scores Granada Hat-Trick

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Lionel Messi’s first hat trick of the season helped Barcelona beat Granada 4-0 and take the top spot in the Spanish league on Saturday. Messi scored twice within the first 15 minutes at the Camp Nou, and added his third in the second half as Barcelona cruised to victory. Neymar completed the scoring with seven minutes remaining .

The victory lifted Barcelona one point above Atlético Madrid, who play at fifth-place Celta Vigo on Sunday. 

Barcelona will have a game in hand after the 19th round this weekend. Third-placed Real Madrid trailed Barcelona by five points. Barcelona had drawn four of their last six matches but were coming off a 4-1 win over city rival Espanyol in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.

“I’m very satisfied with how the team played today,” Barcelona’s coach, Luis Enrique, said. “Everybody was focused from the beginning. The players knew how important it was to win these three points.”

Barcelona dominated Granada, who were only 17th in the 20-team La Liga table. Messi and Neymar got the goals but Luis Suárez also played well and had chances to score. “We could have scored more,” Barcelona defender Aleix Vidal said. “But the main thing was to get the three points. We are back in the lead, now we’ll see what happens in the other matches.”

Messi found the net from close range after a pass from Arda Turan, then bagged his second six minutes later by striking an open net after a pass by Suárez. Messi completed his hat-trick after Neymar struck the post and the ball rebounded to the Argentinian inside the area for his ninth league goal of the season. It was Messi’s 33rd career hat-trick. He has a strong chance of winning a record fifth Ballon d’Or on Monday, from a shortlist which includes Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo. Neymar sealed Barcelona’s victory from close range, scoring his 15th league goal to tie Suárez as the competition’s leading scorer.

Dani Alves, who this week called the Spanish media “garbage” for the way it covers soccer, came off the bench in the second half and was loudly cheered by the Barcelona fans. 

The club initially condemned Alves’ comments, but late on Friday said it would give its support to the player in case a local association of sports media went ahead with its threat to sue the Brazilian right back

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Messi Misses Penalty in Barca Win

Lionel Messi scored one penalty and missed another as his double helped

Barcelona sweep aside Levante in the second half in a 4-1 victory that maintained their perfect La Liga start.

Last season’s treble winners lead the standings with 12 points ahead of three teams, including arch-rivals Real Madrid, on 10.

The defender Marc Bartra showed composure to open the scoring by converting a Messi cross after 50 minutes with Barça having been frustrated in the first half by a well-organised Levante side.

After the game opened up Neymar finished clinically after 55 minutes and won a penalty on the hour which was converted by Messi.

At the other end, the Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen flapped at a cross that allowed Victor Casadesús to slot home after 65 minutes.

Messi blazed a second penalty over the bar after he was fouled but the Argentine did score again with a drive from the edge of the area a minute from time.

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Messi Unable to Evade Tax Judge

Lionel Messi is to face court trial for alleged tax evasion after a Spanish court rejected the Barcelona forward's appeal against his prosecution.

Messi and his father have been accused of defrauding the Spanish state of more than €4 million between 2007 and 2009.

Spain's public prosecutor argued in June that Messi's father Jorge was responsible for the family's finances and not the four-times World Player of the Year.

A court in Barcelona decided, however, Messi could have known about and approved the creation of a web of shell companies that were allegedly used to evade taxes due on income from image rights.

The appeal against that decision has been rejected, according to court documents published on Friday.

"In this type of crime, it is not necessary for someone to have complete knowledge of all the accounting and business operations nor the exact quantity, rather it is sufficient to be aware of the designs to commit fraud and consent to them," the judge ruled.

The income relates to Messi's image rights, including deals with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola and Proctor and Gamble.

They have denied wrongdoing.

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Happy Birthday Lionel Messi !

Leo Messi is 24 years old on Friday and celebrates it in a season in which he has produced his best ever scoring stats this year, with 53 goals in 55 games for the team: 31 in the league, 12 in the Champions League, 7 in the Spanish Cup and 3 in the Spanish Super Cup. His previous best was 47 goals scored in the 2009/10 campaign. 

Messi’s 12 goals matches equals Ruud Van Nistelroy’s dozen in the 2002/03 edition of the competition. 

Up to this season Leo Messi had surprisingly never managed a goal in a Champions League semi final. But he put that right with two strikes at the Bernabeu on April 27th –the second being one of the goals of the season. 

Messi also broke his scoring duck in the land that invented the game – and what better occasion to do it than in the Champions League Final at Wembley! 

On November 20th 2010, Messi scored a hat trick in the 0-8 demolition of Almeria to take his league scoring past the hundred mark. 

Four days later, he scored in the 0-3 win against Panathinaikos to pass the 150 goal mark in all competitions for the Club. 

Last season, Messi played in 62 games for club and country and with the Copa America due to begin on July 1st, he looks set to break his record of 64 appearances in a single season. 

With the Spanish Super Cup. League and Champions League titles won this season, Messi has now won a total of 15 trophies with the Club – 5 leagues, 4 Spanish Super Cups, 3 Champions Leagues, a Spanish Cup, a World Club Cup and a European Super Cup.

Factfile

Name: Lionel Andrés Messi
Position: forward
Place of birth: Santa Fe (Argentina)
Date: 24-06-1987
Height: 1'69
Weight: 67
Debut: RCD Espanyol-FC Barcelona (0-1, League), 16/10/2004

Lionel Messi Profile