Madrid: Lionel Messi struck another trademark free-kick Saturday evening as Barcelona moved to within one point of La Liga leaders Real Madrid with a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
Madrid have two games in hand, the first of which was supposed to take place Sunday at Celta Vigo. However, that match has been called off after strong winds damaged Celta’s Balaidos Stadium and left it unsafe to hold the game, La Liga confirmed after a security evaluation.
Barca took their chance to apply pressure at the Camp Nou, but needed some wasteful finishing by Athletic in a much tighter game than the scoreline suggests.
Luis Suarez was left on the bench to allow Paco Alcacer a rare start and he netted his first La Liga goal since joining from Valencia for 30 million euros ($32 million) in August, whilst Messi came off 25 minutes from time.
“Today (Saturday) a lot of players who haven’t had a lot of minutes took part and showed what they can do,” said Barca boss Luis Enrique after the game.
Athletic should have been in front before Alcacer’s 18th-minute opener, as Raul Garcia’s low effort was turned onto the post by Marc-Andre ter Stegen before Inaki Williams headed wide when unmarked from 12 yards out.
Alcacer has endured a torrid time since joining Barca but settled the hosts when he turned home Neymar’s cut-back inside Gorka Iraizoz’s near post.
Athletic’s day was summed up with Barca’s second, five minutes before half time. After scoring in both legs of the Copa del Rey last 16 clash between the sides from free-kicks last month, Messi again outdid Iraizoz from the narrowest of angles to score his 31st goal of the season from 30 appearances. The goal also added another record in Messi’s cap. It was his 27th goal for Barca from set-pieces, one better than the tally of 26 achieved by former Dutch international Ronald Koeman.
Messi took a rare break in the second half as he was replaced by Sergi Roberto. Yet, even that change worked in Barca’s favour as Aleix Vidal was pushed into a more advanced role from right-back and he rounded off the win by firing into the far corner 23 minutes from time for the Catalans’ 100th goal in all competitions this season.
Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid strengthened their hold on the final Champions League position in fourth as Fernando Torres scored twice to see off lowly Leganes 2-0 at the Vicente Calderon.
AFP