Madrid: Lionel Messi dazzled with two goals and two assists as Barcelona thrashed Celta Vigo 5-0 in their first game Saturday since coach Luis Enrique announced his departure at the end of the season.
Real Madrid remained just one point behind Barca at the top of La Liga and with a game in hand as Karim Benzema scored twice in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in a 4-1 win at Eibar.
Messi opened the scoring in sensational style on 24 minutes as he turned just inside the Celta half before skipping past a host of helpless defenders and stroking the ball home from the edge of the area.
However, the finish for Barca’s second was equally as majestic as Messi’s pass was dinked over Sergio Alvarez from close range by Neymar.
The hosts’ dominance was rewarded with a third just before the hour mark as Ivan Rakitic was clearly offside when he pounced on Rafinha’s layoff. Messi was the provider once more for the fourth as his low cross was turned home by Samuel Umtiti for his first Barca goal.
The five-time world player of the year produced another individual effort to end the scoring as it started as he cut in from the right before firing the ball inside Alvarez’s near post.
Earlier, despite the absence of Ronaldo and Bale through injury and suspension respectively, Frenchman Benzema
took charge and struck twice in the 14th and 25th minutes to make the scoreline 2-0.
Four minutes later James Rodriguez scored his fifth goal of the season followed by a strike from Marco Asensio to help Real take 4-0 lead at the hour mark. Ruben Pena pulled one back for the hosts 18 minutes from time.
AFP
