Messi’s free-kick magic keeps Barca at La Liga summit
MADRID: Lionel Messi stole the show with two free-kick goals in a blistering display as Barcelona maintained their lead at the top of La Liga with a thumping 4-0 derby win over Catalan rivals Espanyol. The Argentine star curled home two sensational set-pieces and set up another goal as he and his teammates romped to victory at the RCDE Stadium and made sure Barca kept chasing Atletico Madrid and Sevilla at bay.
Atleti and Sevilla had moved level on 28 points with Barca on Saturday after Diego Simeone’s side defeated Alaves 3-0 and the Andalusians drew 1-1 at Valencia. However Messi made sure that Ernesto Valverde’s team kept their place at the top of the pile with a mesmerising display alongside front-three partners Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele. “He is extraordinary,” said Valverde. “The free-kicks, the chances on goal that he creates, what he brings us and what he take from the opponent.”
Messi began the rout in the 17th minute with a perfectly placed free-kick that arched past a desperate Diego Lopez, and fol- lowed that up by keeping possession under intense pressure before providing the pass for Dembele from which the French attacker curled in a fine second.
It was then Dembele’s turn to provide a minute before the break, slipping in a through ball that Suarez somehow took on and squeezed home from near the byline. Messi capped a dominant display with his second free-kick of the night, which this time whipped past Lopez with such venom the Spanish goalkeeper could barely move towards it.
BALE SNAPS DROUGHT
MADRID: Gareth Bale ended a run of 802 minutes without a goal in La Liga as Real Madrid won 1-0 at bottom side Huesca on Sunday to climb back to within five points of leaders Barcelona.
The Welshman struck his first goal in the league since the start of September to lift Real to a fourth win in five matches and move the European champions up to fourth place. It was Bale’s longest longest spell without scoring in the league since joining Real and he put a halt to it as he expertly cushioned in a volley from an arcing cross by Alvaro Odriozola on eight minutes.