Messi penalty lifts Barca, Griezmann eclipses Torres
MADRID: Lionel Messi scored a penalty and missed another as La Liga leaders Barcelona ground out an unconvincing 1-0 win over Real Valladolid, while Antoine Griezmann surpassed Fernando Torres with his 130th goal for Atletico Madrid.
Messi’s fitness was again in the spotlight after a niggling thigh strain in recent weeks, but he completed the full 90 minutes at the Camp Nou and hit the 30-goal mark at Barcelona for the 11th straight season.
The Argentine coolly dispatched a spot-kick just before half-time after Gerard Pique was bundled to the ground by Valladolid midfielder Michel. Messi then blew the chance to kill off Valladolid when Masip kept out his second penalty of the night -awarded following a trip on Philippe Coutinho.
Griezmann scored a secondhalf winner in Atletico’s 1-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano. The French forward surpassed Torres for fifth all-time on the Atletico goalscoring charts as they shook off two successive defeats, including last week’s 3-1 loss at home to Real Madrid.
The late Luis Aragones is Atletico’s record goalscorer with 172.
MADRID SUFFER SHOCK LOSS TO GIRONA
MADRID: Real Madrid’s resurgent La Liga run skidded to a halt as they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at home by struggling Girona on Sunday in which captain Sergio Ramos was sent off in added time, leaving them nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona.
Real looked on course for a sixth consecutive league win when Casemiro leapt highest to meet a Toni Kroos cross and head them in front midway through the first half.