Raphinha strikes again as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 1-0

LAS VEGAS, United States - Raphinha made it two goals in two matches as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 1-0 on Saturday in their Las Vegas Clasico.

Raphinha, signed from Premier League Leeds United earlier this month for around $60 million, followed up his debut in a 6-0 thrashing of Inter Miami with the lone goal of the high-profile clash at Allegiant Stadium, the $1.97 billion, 65,000-seat home of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders.

The Brazilian was perfectly placed to intercept an ill-advised pass from Real's Eder Militao along the top of the area. After one touch to settle he lashed a left-footed shot over Thibaut Courtois into the top right corner of the net to put Barcelona up 1-0 in the 27th minute

The fourth edition of the Clasico to be played outside of Spain -- the second ever held in the United States -- featured all the intensity of the long rivalry.

Real Madrid, playing their first pre-season friendly, nearly opened the scoring in the 18th minute but Federico Valverde was denied by the post in the 18th minute, seizing the ball after a poor clearance by Jordi Alba and blasting a volley from 25 yards out that beat Marc-Andre Ter Stegen only for the upright to intervene.

Two minutes later it was Barcelona who saw a chance get away when Eduardo Camavinga lost possession to Pedri in front of Real's goal. Pedri found Fati, who pulled Real keeper Thibaut Courtois off his line but put his shot just wide of the far post.

Overall it was Barcelona -- energized by the debut of Polish striker Robert Lewandowski after his move from Bayern Munich -- who controlled the tempo in the first half against the reigning Champions League and La Liga title holders.

The first half ended on a testy note after Jordi Alba's sliding tackle on Militao that earned a yellow card.

Some jawing and shoving escalated, with players having to step in and separate Madrid newcomer Antonio Rudiger and Barcelona's Ronald Araujo.

Lewandowski's night ended without a goal as he was departed at the half, replaced by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as part of a raft of changes at the midpoint.

Aubameyang had a chance just two minutes into the second half with a header from the center of the area off a cross by Raphinha but missed it left.

A back and forth between substitute Marco Asensio and defender Lucas Vazquez gave Real Madrid a golden opportunity in the 59th minute, but after Vazquez played the ball back to Asensio in front of goal he pulled his shot wide.

They pressed desperately in the closing minutes for an equalizer, but Carlo Ancelotti's side clearly missed French star Karim Benzema, who was granted an extended holiday by the club and sat out the contest after joining up with his teammates in Los Angeles just days before.

Real Madrid continue their US tour on Tuesday against Mexico's Cub America at San Francisco's Oracle Park baseball venue while Barcelona take on Italian giants Juventus in Dallas on the same night.

Both play again on July 30, when Barcelona take on Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls and Real Madrid play Juventus.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Barcelona continue post-Messi era after strong start

Barcelona face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in their first away match since the departure of Lionel Messi, hoping to back up a promising La Liga opener last weekend, while Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid also look to notch second straight wins.

Ronald Koeman's Barca beat Real Sociedad 4-2 last weekend despite the shock of seeing Messi leave for Paris Saint-Germain.

The Catalan giants are also still without injured winger Ousmane Dembele and close-season arrival Sergio Aguero as they look to rebuild despite being saddled with debt and only finishing third last season.

Koeman did win his first major trophy as Barca boss last term, his side thrashing Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in a Copa del Rey final in which Messi scored twice.

Martin Braithwaite stepped into the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's shoes last Sunday by grabbing a brace, while Memphis Depay impressed on his debut after joining from Lyon.

Koeman admitted after the win over Sociedad that other players in his team need to step up without Messi -- who scored 38 goals in his final Barca season.

"We no longer have a player who can decide the fate of matches on his own -- now it will be a collective effort," said the Dutchman.

Instability at the Camp Nou is also rampant off the pitch, with president Joan Laporta on Monday saying the club's financial problems are "worrying".

He revealed that Barcelona's debts stand at 1.35 billion euros ($1.58 billion) and that their wage bill is at least 25 percent higher than their competitors at 617 million euros.

Philippe Coutinho, among those high earners, was not part of the matchday squad against Sociedad and has been linked with a return to the Premier League -- where he previously starred for Liverpool.

Veteran centre-back Gerard Pique, who scored last weekend, could miss out with a calf problem against Athletic.

- Champions Atletico face Elche -

Atletico Madrid took advantage of Barcelona and Real Madrid's on-pitch woes to win La Liga for the first time since 2014 last season and kicked off their title defence with a 2-1 victory at Celta Vigo.

Diego Simeone's Atletico on Sunday welcome Elche to the Wanda Metropolitano, where fans will be present to celebrate their 2021 title triumph.

Real have also seen plenty of change in the close-season, with coach Zinedine Zidane departing the club to be replaced by former boss Carlo Ancelotti.

The long-serving defensive duo of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane have also left, for PSG and Manchester United respectively, although David Alaba will be expected to plug one of those gaps after his move from Bayern Munich.

Ancelotti brought Gareth Bale back into the fold for a 4-1 thumping of Alaves last week when Karim Benzema, who is reportedly set to sign a new contract, netted a double.

All the focus at the Santiago Bernabeu remains on the chase of Kylian Mbappe, who is still yet to agree a new deal with PSG.

This Sunday, though, Los Blancos will be bidding to continue their strong start at Levante.

One to watch: Memphis Depay

The Netherlands international, alongside Antoine Griezmann, will have to shoulder plenty of responsibility at Barcelona in the absence of Messi, despite having only just arrived in Spain.

Depay's last move to a big European club ended in disaster as he left Manchester United in 2016 after scoring just two goals in 33 Premier League games.

But he has enjoyed a fine spell at Lyon, where he scored 20 times in Ligue 1 last season, and could be ready to step up at the age of 27.

Key stats

Three: Wins for Levante in their last six matches against Real Madrid.

Six: Consecutive La Liga victories for Atletico against Elche.

17: Years since a team other than Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid won the title.

Fixtures (all times GMT)

Friday

Real Betis v Cadiz (1900)

Saturday

Alaves v Real Mallorca (1500), Espanyol v Villarreal, Granada v Valencia (both 1730), Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona (2000)

Sunday

Real Sociedad v Rayo Vallecano (1500), Atletico Madrid v Elche (1730), Levante v Real Madrid (2000)

Monday

Getafe v Sevilla (1800), Osasuna v Celta Vigo (2000)

Agence France-Presse

Explained: Why Barcelona had to let Messi go

PARIS, France -- Barcelona were desperate to keep Lionel Messi and the Argentine wanted to stay at the Camp Nou -- as his tears at a farewell press conference on Sunday attested.

So why, then, is he leaving the only club he has ever represented in his 17-year professional career?

- La Liga salary cap -

Barcelona say they had no choice other than to offload the 34-year-old -- on a free transfer with his contract having ended in June -- as they battle to slash a 1.2 billion-euro ($1.4 billion) debt mountain.

Messi had agreed to take a 50 percent wage cut, and studies suggested his commercial value to the club far exceeded the astronomical cost of his salary.

However, those debts and the need to comply with a strict Spanish league salary cap have forced Messi out.

The Catalans squandered the 222 million euros they received from PSG in 2017 for Neymar by committing fees of over 100 million euros each on the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Antoine Griezmann and Ousname Dembele.

President Joan Laporta admitted that losses for last season alone totalled almost 500 million euros and insisted he could not "mortgage" the club's future for any player, Messi included.

Clubs in Spain's top two divisions suffered a loss of earnings totalling 2.013 billion euros ($2.43 billion) for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

La Liga rules say no Spanish club can go over a totally salary limit which the league itself has set: in Barca's case that was 348 million euros for last season, down from 671.4 million euros in the previous term.

Barca went over that reduced limit last season and now La Liga will not tolerate a further lapse.

Laporta admitted that Barca's wage bill with Messi would amount to 110 percent of income. Even with him it would have been too high, at an untenable 95 percent.

- No new signings allowed, including Messi -

Some have asked why Messi, if he loved the club so much, couldn't stay and play for free.

Ignoring the fact that it is ludicrous to think the best player in the world could or should agree to that, it would have been impossible.

Without being in line with the salary cap rules, Barcelona are not allowed to register any new signings. With Messi's previous deal having expired in June, he would have been considered a new signing.

That also raises questions about the summer signings the club had already announced, with Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia having already been recruited on free transfers and Emerson Royal arriving from Real Betis.

Some may ask why La Liga could not be more flexible, given the receipts Messi pulls in while he is a huge global draw for the Spanish game.

UEFA has already relaxed its own financial fair play rules to help clubs affected by the pandemic, but the Spanish league is standing its ground.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Barca thrash Sociedad, Atletico edge past Alaves

MADRID, Spain -- Lionel Messi scored twice on Sunday as Barcelona trounced Real Sociedad 6-1 to keep the pressure on Atletico Madrid, who squeezed past Alaves thanks to a late penalty save from Jan Oblak.

Oblak's 86th-minute heroics ensured Luis Suarez's 500th career goal was enough for a 1-0 victory at the Wanda Metropolitano, meaning the gap at the top of La Liga remains at four points, with 10 games left to play.

But the contrast between Atletico's nervy win against 19th-placed Alaves and Barca's demolition of a Real Sociedad side with hopes of qualifying for Europe spoke volumes about where the momentum lies in the Spanish title race.

Atletico will hope Oblak's save can prove to be a turning point after a challenging few weeks, while the international break might offer Diego Simeone's side a chance to reset and refresh ahead of the run-in. 

"There are games where you suffer but that's what makes football beautiful," said Oblak.

Simeone said: "Like all great teams, there is always one that scores a lot of goals and one that makes a lot of saves. They are both decisive players who make the team stronger."

Barcelona have hit their stride, their six goals against Real Sociedad no less than they deserved for a scintillating attacking display, and perhaps their best since Ronald Koeman took charge.

"The team has improved a lot recently," said Koeman. "We've gone a lot of games without losing in the league, which was the only way to get back in the fight for th title.

"But we're still behind Atleti, Real Madrid are stronger. We have to keep going to the end."

- Messi breaks appearance record -

Messi scored his 11th and 12 goals in his last 10 games, and made it 16 in 12 this year. The 33-year-old has also now passed Xavi Hernandez's record of 767 Barcelona appearances, which he had equalled against Huesca on Monday.

Messi did not plough a lone furrow at the Reale Arena, where Sergino Dest scored twice either side of half-time after Antoine Griezmann slammed in the opener.

Ousmane Dembele and Real Sociedad's Ander Barrenetxea -- with arguably the goal of the night -- both registered between Messi's double in the second half.

For Barcelona, it is a ninth consecutive away win in the league, with a club record 10th within their grasp if they beat Real Madrid in the Clasico on April 10.

Real Sociedad next play Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao in the postponed Copa del Rey final from last year on April 3.

Dest had already hit the crossbar when Messi set Jordi Alba free down the left and while Dembele's finish was saved, Griezmann was on hand to convert the rebound.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen had to rectify his own poor clearance by getting down low to deny Alexander Isak but Real Sociedad's resistance was brief.

Messi slipped in Dest to fire in and then Alba pulled back from the other side for the American to make it three.

Messi snuck in behind early in the second half, poking in Sergio Busquets' ball over the top before Dembele was allowed to glide through unchallenged, and impressively drove into the far corner.

Barrenetxea put his side on the scoreboard, and brilliantly, by nipping inside Frenkie de Jong and thundering a shot into the top corner but Messi had the last word, a crisp finish curling inside the near post.

- Suarez strikes -

Messi stays ahead of Suarez in the La Liga scoring charts, despite the Uruguayan's excellent finish nine minutes into the second half against Alaves.

Thomas Lemar turned the ball around the corner to Marcos Llorente, who fed Kieran Trippier racing down the right, and he curled a cross in on the run to the near post, where Suarez headed in.

But without a second goal, Alaves always had a chance and they were given a golden one after Stefan Savic was judged to have put an arm across Luis Rioja just inside the penalty area.

Joselu stepped up and struck it well to his left but Oblak read it right and, with his left foot still pinned to the line, sprung out and pushed the ball away.

Agence France-Presse

Football: PSG bury Barcelona demons to reach last eight

PARIS - Paris St Germain buried the ghosts of their embarrassing 2017 exit as they drew 1-1 at home with Barcelona on Wednesday to complete a 5-2 aggregate victory that sent them into the Champions League quarter-finals.

Four years after Barca claimed a memorable 6-1 win to overturn a 4-0 first-leg deficit in the last 16, PSG lacked inspiration but their 4-1 advantage from the first game in Spain was sufficient this time.

Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick at the Nou Camp, opened the scoring with a penalty against the run of play before Lionel Messi levelled with a superb long-range goal, but the Argentine had a spot-kick saved by Keylor Navas on the stroke of halftime.

The French champions were on the back foot in the second half as Barca piled on the pressure but Barca exited the competition before the semi-finals for the second year in a row.

Barca's exit ensured it will be the first time since 2005 that neither Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will be in the Champions League quarter-finals after Juventus were also knocked out in the last 16, on Tuesday.

"We suffered a lot in the first half, and psychologically it was a test for us. I gathered that the past was something that was talked about a lot here," PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino said.

"We were better in the second half, we were more competitive."

Barca coach Ronald Koeman tried to remain upbeat.

"We are departing this Champions League in a very different manner from the way we did last season. In this game, we hit our level and that's the road we have to follow," said Koeman, referring to the team's 8-2 aggregate defeat in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich last year.

PSG, without injured forward Neymar, looked nothing like the team who reached last year's final or hammered Barcelona three weeks ago, but they did keep their composure at the back.

Barcelona stamped their authority early on, finding space for Ousmane Dembele, but the Frenchman was twice denied by Navas and he skied an effort over the crossbar in the opening 20 minutes.

Sergino Dest went close for Barca with a powerful angled shot that Navas deflected on to his left-hand post and Dembele broke down the left flank but his cross just evaded a sliding Messi.

It was PSG, however, who went ahead on 31 minutes as Mbappe converted a penalty awarded following a VAR review after Clement Lenglet appeared to step onto Mauro Icardi's heel.

Six minutes later, Messi unleashed a 25-metre missile that flew into the top corner to equalise in style with his 120th goal in the Champions League.

The Argentine had a chance to put the visitors in front just before the break when Barca won a penalty following a Layvin Kurzawa foul on Antoine Griezmann, but Navas deflected the Argentine's spot-kick onto the bar and away.

Barca were still all over PSG in the second half and it took a desperate tackle by Marquinhos to prevent Messi scoring from point blank range before Navas cleared a Sergio Busquets header.

Barcelona gradually ran out of steam, however, and must now turn to their bid to win the La Liga title, where they trail leaders Atletico Madrid by six points.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ed Osmond)

-reuters-

Football: Barca ponder Messi rest as Madrid continue to wait on Hazard

Barcelona must weigh up the decision whether to rest Lionel Messi for Saturday's trip to Getafe ahead of a congested run of fixtures, while Real Madrid are still waiting on the return of Eden Hazard from injury.

Messi played the full 90 minutes in Argentina's World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Bolivia during the international break, the second of which was played at altitude in La Paz.

The Barca captain has not missed a single minute for his club since football resumed in June following the coronavirus shutdown.

However, with seven games in the space of 21 days awaiting Barca, coach Ronald Koeman could elect to give Messi a breather before the start of the team's Champions League campaign.

Barca host Hungarian side Ferencvaros on Tuesday and then face sworn enemies Real Madrid four days later behind closed doors at the Camp Nou.

The Catalan club head to Italy for a Champions League clash with Juventus on October 28 before games against Alaves and Real Betis either side of the visit of Dynamo Kiev.

Leaders Madrid are unbeaten in La Liga since March, winning 13 of their past 15 games, and welcome Cadiz to the capital this weekend.

Zinedine Zidane could also opt to rotate some players but Thibaut Courtois, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior are in line to play after resting while others were away on international duty.

Courtois left the Belgium squad with a back injury and while he is fit to return, compatriot Hazard is not yet ready for action.

The 29-year-old has yet to feature this season having picked up a muscle injury as he worked his way back from an ankle problem.

He is also expected to miss next weekend's Clasico, but Courtois believes Hazard will come good after scoring just once in an injury-plagued first season in Spain.

"I have no doubt we are going to see the best of Hazard," Courtois told Cadena Ser radio.

"He is more desperate than anyone to show it. He's coming along well and hopefully soon he can prove it.

He added: "I am sure that in no time he will explode and will give many joys to the team."

Atletico Madrid visit Celta Vigo in their first game since the sale of Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey to Arsenal on transfer deadline day.

Partey made 188 appearances for the Atletico and was part of the sides that reached the 2016 Champions League final and beat Arsenal on the way to winning the Europa League in 2018.

One to watch: Oussama Idrissi

The Dutch-born Morocco international could make his Sevilla debut at Granada after joining the club on a five-year deal from AZ Alkmaar.

Idrissi, 24, scored 13 goals in 25 games in the Eredivisie last season before it was declared over in March due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Julen Lopetegui's Europa League winners are one of four undefeated teams in La Liga this term, with seven points from their first three matches.

Key stats

12 - goals scored by Sergio Ramos since the start of the 2019/20 season, more than any other defender in Europe's top five leagues.

250 - goals scored by Karim Benzema for Real Madrid. The Frenchman is only the fifth player to reach the mark in club history

Fixtures

Saturday (all times GMT)

Granada v Sevilla (1100), Celta Vigo v Atletico Madrid (1400), Real Madrid v Cadiz (1630), Getafe v Barcelona (1900)

Sunday

Eibar v Osasuna (1000), Athletic Bilbao v Levante (1200), Villarreal v Valencia (1400), Alaves v Elche (1630), Huesca v Real Valladolid (1630), Real Betis v Real Sociedad (1900)

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi has given maximum since ending transfer saga, says Barca coach Koeman

BARCELONA - Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman says Lionel Messi has been the ideal captain and an example to the rest of the team for the way he has applied himself since deciding to stay at the club this season.

Messi gave an outstanding performance in Barca's 3-0 win over Celta Vigo on Thursday after playing the whole second half with 10 men, crushing any fears that the Argentine might lack commitment after the club refused to let him leave.

"From day one Leo has trained and played well and has given the maximum for the club, for his team and for his team mates and I have had no complaints about him on any day," Koeman said ahead of Barca's La Liga game at home to Sevilla on Sunday.

"He proved himself once again the other day against Celta, he pulled his weight as a captain, he helped the team play the ball out from the back because it's so important to keep the ball when you have one less player.

"There's no debate, for me he has always been the best player in the world, I thought that before from the outside and I think it even more now I'm working with him. He's fully committed, he's an example to everyone as a captain should be."

Koeman also praised the form of Philippe Coutinho, who has thrived since returning from a loan spell at Bayern Munich, having flopped in his first two seasons with the Catalans after a club record move from Liverpool in 2018.

"Coutinho is a very good player, he has learned a lot in England and with Bayern and my job as a coach is to get the best out of each player and find their best role," he said.

"A coach can help but it all starts with the quality of a player and Coutinho is a great footballer."

The Dutchman also said Barca want to sign a striker and a centre back before the transfer window shuts, confirming their interest in Manchester City defender Eric Garcia.

"We would like to sign this player, we have four centre backs and we are short there. We know it's difficult financially but I hope we can get it done," Koeman said. (Reporting by Richard Martin Editing by Christian Radnedge)

-reuters-

Football: No exit talks between Barca and Messi - club source

MADRID -- Barcelona insisted they had not heard from Lionel Messi that he wants to leave the club, as an emergency board meeting was being held at Camp Nou on Monday.

Barca officials, including under-fire president Josep Maria Bartomeu, were due to discuss wholesale changes following the team's humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich on Friday.

A report from Esporte Interativo on Sunday even claimed Messi has made up his mind to leave this summer, although a Barcelona source told AFP shortly before the board meeting was due to start that there had still been no communication with the club to that effect.

Messi's frustration will be among the issues to be discussed along with the future of coach Quique Setien, who is expected to be sacked.

Ronald Koeman had emerged as the favourite on Monday to replace Setien given concerns around the suitability of Mauricio Pochettino, who has previously said he would never coach Barcelona due to his links to rivals Espanyol.

Another option is Barca B coach Garcia Pimienta, who could oversee a greater emphasis on youth before a longer-term appointment is made after the presidential elections next year.

Former Barca midfielder Xavi Hernandez would be the preferred option of Messi and other senior players but Xavi has recently signed a new deal with Qatari club Al-Sadd and is against working under the current board.

Another possible outcome of Monday's meeting is that the club's presidential elections, due in June 2021, are brought forward, although it is more likely they would be advanced to earlier next year than the next few months.

Sporting director Eric Abidal will also have his future discussed and could be moved on.

Defender Gerard Pique called for sweeping changes after describing the heavy loss to Bayern, Barca's worst ever in Europe, as their "rock bottom".

But Bartomeu asked for patience. "We are hurting, but once we get to next week we will start making decisions," he told television channel Movistar.

"The credibility of a coach is diminished when this happens, clearly. That is obvious, but that does not bother me right now.

"I think what happens today needs to be analysed with a bit more perspective," he added.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi predicts Champions League failure if Barca fail to change

A frustrated Lionel Messi called for change after Barcelona handed the La Liga title to Real Madrid on Thursday, warning the team will lose in the Champions League as well if they fail to improve.

Barca's title challenge ended with a whimper at Camp Nou, where they were beaten 2-1 by Osasuna while Madrid's 2-1 victory at home to Villarreal ensured they were crowned Spanish champions.

Defeat increases the pressure on coach Quique Setien, who took over in January with Barcelona sitting top of the table.

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said Setien will remain in charge for the Champions League next month, when Barca play their second leg at home to Napoli, with the last-16 tie in the balance at 1-1. 

"The feeling of the team is that it tries but can't do it, that we leave a lot to be desired in many areas and today in the first half I think they were better than us," Messi said after the loss to Osasuna.

"I said long ago that if we continued in this way, it would be very difficult to win the Champions League and that has been shown to be the case in La Liga too.

"If we want to fight for the Champions League we will have to change a lot because otherwise the match against Napoli, we will lose that as well."

Messi scored a brilliant free-kick against Osasuna but it was not enough. Madrid pulled seven points clear of Barcelona ahead of Sunday's final round of games.

"We didn't expect or want to finish like this but it almost sums up the whole year," said Messi. "We have been very inconsistent, very weak, beaten on intensity or desire.

"They created chances very easily and scored. During the whole year we have been inconsistent and we have lost a lot of points where we shouldn't have. This game showed what this year has been about for us."

- 'We have to be self-critical' -
Messi has been critical of the board this season and suggested everyone at the club should take their share of the blame. 

"After the break Madrid have not lost any games and they deserve credit for that but we have also helped them a lot," said Messi.

"We lost a lot of games that we should not have lost and we have to be self-critical, starting with the players, but it has to be a total self-criticism from everyone because we are Barcelona and we are obliged to win the matches whatever happens and instead look at us."

If Barcelona come through against Napoli, they will face Bayern Munich in the last eight, with a compressed format of single legs all the way through to the final. 

"I think we need a little air, this break will be good for us, to clear our heads, forget about everything that has happened," said Messi.

"It has been very bad from December until now but it is the Champions League and there are four games that can give you a trophy that we all want. But we have to change a lot and be very self-critical."

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi scores 700th goal but Atletico draw hurts Barca's title hopes

MADRID, Spain -- Lionel Messi scored his 700th career goal but Barcelona suffered another blow to their La Liga title hopes after a 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Messi chipped in a penalty to reach another astonishing milestone at Camp Nou but twice Atletico hit back with spot-kicks of their own, Saul Niguez converting both after Barca took an early lead through Diego Costa's own goal.

The result gives Real Madrid the chance to move four points clear at the top of the table if they can overcome Getafe at home on Wednesday, a formidable lead with five games left.

Atletico stay third, two points ahead of Sevilla, who won 3-0 at Leganes.

With a superior head-to-head, it would take a dramatic capitulation for Real Madrid not to lift the trophy from here but there is no guarantee Barcelona can finish strongly enough even to create pressure.

This was their third draw in four matches and with suggestions of disharmony between the players and coaching staff, the future of coach Quique Setien looks bleak too.

"From the dressing room I feel supported, yes," he said. "And regarding the meeting with the board, I will not say what was said in that."

Setien was also asked about his job on Monday and had to play down the significance of a frank exchange of views in the dressing room following Saturday's draw at Celta Vigo.

Messi had also caused a stir by appearing to ignore Setien's assistant Eder Sarabia during a water break at Vigo and on Tuesday it was impossible to ignore the contrast with Atletico's players, who huddled around Diego Simeone while 50 metres away Setien stood alone.

At full-time, Setien stared into space with the look of a coach that is running out of time but he had taken bold decisions, leaving 120-million-euro signing Antoine Griezmann on the bench and handing another start to 20-year-old Riqui Puig.

"It's true that taking him out of the team like that is hard for a player of his level but the circumstances forced me to do it," said Setien of Griezmann. "Tomorrow I will speak to him, not to apologise, but it is a decision he has to understand."


- Costa nightmare -

Yet it started well for them as Costa endured a nightmare first quarter of an hour, first diverting Messi's corner into his own net after misjudging the flight of the ball at the near post.

Then he missed a penalty, won after the excellent Yannick Carrasco left Gerard Pique for dead and then cut back inside Arturo Vidal, who stuck out a leg.

Costa's shot was saved but VAR showed Marc-Andre ter Stegen had sprung off his line too early and Atletico were given a second chance. This time Saul took the ball and he scored the equaliser.

Messi dinked over the sliding Renan Lodi and then whistled a curling effort past the far post. His deflected free-kick forced Jan Oblak to adjust his feet and palm over.

Finally, it was laid on a plate for him shortly after half-time. Felipe clipped Nelson Semedo and Messi, with the 700th in sight, chipped the ball delicately down the middle.

But every time Barca pulled away, Atletico pegged them back. Another penalty was awarded, again instigated by the speedy Carrasco, who made the most of the slightest touch from Semedo.

Saul took responsibility again and while Ter Stegen got a hand to it, the ball squirmed into the corner.

Vidal twice went close, the second time heading wide Jordi Alba's cross, and Thomas Lemar might even have won it for Atletico in injury-time. For Barca, the draw was damaging enough.

Earlier, Sevilla's Oliver Torres scored twice and Munir El Haddadi added a third to see off Leganes and boost their hopes of holding onto fourth place.

Sevilla sit five points ahead of Getafe, having played a game more. Leganes stay 19th, nine points adrift of safety.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Neymar loses lawsuit with Barcelona over bonus

BARCELONA--Paris St Germain and Brazil forward Neymar has been ordered to pay his former club Barcelona 6.7 million euros ($7.51 million) after losing a lawsuit over an unpaid bonus, the Spanish champions said in a statement on Friday.

Neymar moved from Barca to PSG for a world record fee of 222 million euros in 2017 but took the La Liga side to court over the terms of the last contract he signed with them a year earlier, claiming he was entitled to 43.6 million euros.

"Barcelona expresses its satisfaction with the verdict announced today in relation to the lawsuit involving FC Barcelona and the player Neymar Jr regarding the amount of the signing bonus in the final renewal of the player’s contract," said the club's statement.

"The ruling has fully dismissed the player’s claim for payment of 43.6 million euros, and has accepted a large part of the defence presented by FC Barcelona, as a result of which the player must return 6.7 million euros to the club.

"Since the player’s representative is entitled to appeal this decision, the club shall continue to fervently defend its legitimate interests."

Neymar's representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

Despite their long-running legal dispute, Barca tried to sign Neymar last year and the player even stopped training with PSG in order to try and force through the move, prompting angry protests from the French side's supporters.

The move eventually broke down, with PSG's sporting director Leonardo claiming Barca failed to meet their asking price for the forward, who formed a world-beating attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez between 2014 and 2017. ($1 = 0.8919 euros) (Reporting by Richard Martin Editing by Christian Radnedge)

-reuters-

Football: Messi caps Barcelona win over Mallorca on La Liga return

MADRID -- Lionel Messi returned without a beard and with a goal and two assists as Barcelona resumed their La Liga title challenge on Saturday with a thumping 4-0 victory over Real Mallorca. 

After three months away because of the coronavirus pandemic, Barca exploded into the lead with just 64 seconds played when Arturo Vidal headed in and Martin Braithwaite struck a second from a Messi headed assist. 

Jordi Alba latched onto a Messi pass to add a third but not before play was briefly stopped by a pitch invader, who was able to run on, despite the match being closed to fans. 

Messi then scored a fourth in injury time for his 25th goal of the season. 

"I'm happy because starting like this is an enormous boost for what's to come," said Barcelona coach Quique Setien.

Victory extends Barca's advantage at the top of La Liga to five points over Real Madrid, who can reduce the gap back to two when they restart at home to Eibar on Sunday. 

La Liga's first match back came on Thursday between Sevilla and Real Betis, with teams scheduled to each play their remaining 11 matches of the season in less than six weeks. 

Messi will be crucial to Barcelona's hopes of holding off Madrid but their captain, who turns 33 this month, may have to pace himself, especially after an injury-interrupted season. 

Clean shaven, and without any sign of the thigh problem that prevented him from training earlier this month, Messi played 90 minutes and looked like he had never been away.

- Suarez back -

His goal was set up by Luis Suarez and the sight of the Uruguayan coming off the bench would have been welcome for coach Setien too. 

Suarez has not played since undergoing knee surgery in January and was able to recover during the suspension. He could play an important part in the run-in. 

Asked what pleased him most, Setien said: "The satisfaction of seeing Luis again on the field. You have to admire the performance he gave in those 35 minutes that he played. Starting like this is very important for him and for the team as well."

Mallorca, who sit 18th in La Liga, were never going to offer the sternest of tests but this was a useful outing for both Barcelona's fitness and morale. 

Before matches were suspended in Spain because of coronavirus on March 12, Barca had regained top spot but only after being convincingly beaten by Madrid the week before. 

This performance suggests time away might have done them good and it remains to be seen now how Madrid respond. Madrid's next four matches all come after their title rivals have played first. 

Barcelona were in front after just over a minute as Frenkie de Jong did well to recover the ball from a loose touch before Alba sent a deep cross to the arriving Vidal, who headed in. 

Mallorca were under relentless pressure as Braithwaite and Messi both went close to adding a second. Mallorca's Takefusa Kubo, on loan from Real Madrid, forced a good save out of Marc-Andre ter Stegen on the break.

But Barca scored a second before half-time as an Alba cross span up and both De Jong and then Messi feathered headers across for Braithwaite to bang in on the half-volley, his first goal for the club. 

Both teams eased off in the second period and there were smiles on the Barcelona players' faces when a pitch invader ran on in the 52nd minute wearing an Argentina shirt. He posed for a picture with Alba before being escorted away. 

Alba added a third after finishing off Messi's clipped ball over the top and then Messi grabbed a goal himself. Suarez fooled his marker by letting the ball run across his body and Messi weaved inside where he could unleash with his right foot. 

Mallorca's defeat, combined with losses for Leganes and Celta Vigo, made it the perfect day for Espanyol, who made up ground on their relegation rivals by beating Alaves.

Chinese striker Wu Lei, who tested positive for coronavirus in March, scored on his first game back to seal a 2-0 victory and put Espanyol within three points of safety. 

They are now level on points with Leganes, who lost 2-1 at home to Real Valladolid, and three behind Celta, who conceded in the 91st minute for a 1-0 defeat by Villarreal.

© Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi scores four as Barca jump above defeated Madrid before Clasico

MADRID -- Lionel Messi scored four goals and Barcelona reclaimed top spot in La Liga as Real Madrid suffered a surprise defeat by Levante on Saturday, a week before the Clasico.

Madrid's nightmare afternoon was made worse by another injury to Eden Hazard, who was forced off in the second half of their 1-0 defeat in Valencia and is now doubtful to face Manchester City on Wednesday in the Champions League.

"It doesn't look good," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane afterwards.

Messi, meanwhile, ridiculed talk of a drought by scoring four goals against Eibar after four games without one, while emergency signing Martin Braithwaite made two assists off the bench, teeing up Messi and then Arthur Melo in injury-time.

Their 5-0 rout, coupled with Madrid's defeat, means Barca move back to the summit of La Liga, two points ahead of Zidane's side ahead of next Saturday's showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"We've had good times this season and now this is a bad time," said Zidane. "Now we have a week where everything is at stake."

It amounts to a considerable shift in momentum, with Barcelona away at Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.

Madrid host City a day later and the plan had been for Hazard to regain form and fitness in what was only his second start since returning from three months out with a broken right foot.

But the Belgian sat in the dug-out with an ice pack around the same foot after going off and Zidane suggested it was a repeat injury after the match.

"It can be weak where you've had an injury," he said. "It's sore now but we will see tomorrow after more tests."


Madrid were shaken by Hazard's departure and Levante capitalised as Jose Luis Morales banged a shot into the top corner from the angle, even if Thibaut Courtois pulled out of a save he should have made.

For Madrid, playing catch-up again next weekend will be a particularly heavy psychological blow, especially given the series of off-field problems engulfing Barcelona in recent weeks.

Yet on the pitch, Messi showed no sign of distraction as the 32-year-old completed the second fastest of his now 36 league hat-tricks, after less than 40 minutes at Camp Nou.

"There's nothing left to do but stand up and applaud," Eibar wrote on Twitter afterwards. "I won't wash my kit after hugging Messi," said Braithwaite.

Braithwaite's arrival from Leganes drew criticism after Barcelona capitalised on a curious La Liga rule that allows clubs to sign outside of the transfer window if they have lost a player to serious injury. 

Leganes, without their top scorer, were beaten earlier by fellow strugglers Celta Vigo but Braithwaite made the perfect start with his new team.

- Brilliant Messi -

Messi quickly got to work, scoring a brilliant first goal in the 14th minute after collecting the ball centrally, around 30 yards out. He had three Eibar defenders in front of him but found a way through, nutmegging Anaitz Arbilla before chipping delicately into the corner. 

The second came in the 37th minute as Sergio Busquets found Arturo Vidal, who feathered a flick into Messi's path. Messi surged forward, past his stumbling opponents, and fired in. 

His third, three minutes later, was the simplest of the trio and arrived only after he tried to play in Antoine Griezmann. His generosity was rewarded as a sloppy Griezmann touch meant the ball cannoned back to Messi, who apologetically poked in.

Coach Quique Setien was able to take Griezmann off with 18 minutes left and introduce Braithwaite for his debut. Braithwaite's first contribution was a skewed cross but things improved immeasurably from there, as two passes across goal gave Messi his fourth and Arthur his first.

Madrid were never in control of a chaotic contest against Levante but might have taken the lead if Hazard had done better with a long ball over the top from Marcelo, which he failed to control and then scuffed into the hands of Aitor Fernandez.

He limped off and Madrid lost their way, finally punished with 11 minutes left by a straight ball through to Morales. Luka Modric, exposed on the right side of Madrid's defence, was unable to recover and Morales caught Courtois by surprise by firing early past the goalkeeper and into the top corner. 

Real Sociedad moved into fourth and above Atletico Madrid with a 3-0 victory over Valencia, whose miserable form continued following their 4-1 Champions League loss at Atalanta in midweek. 

Agence France-Presse

Football: Barca beat Betis to keep pace with Real Madrid

MADRID, Spain -- Lionel Messi gave a hat-trick of assists on Sunday as Barcelona ended their turbulent week with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Real Betis to stay in touch with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.

Madrid's 4-1 win at Osasuna earlier in the day put pressure on Barca to respond, only for Betis to twice lead at the Benito Villamarin through a penalty from Sergio Canales and brilliant solo effort from Nabil Fekir.

Yet both times Barcelona hit back as Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets pulled them level before Clement Lenglet headed in with 18 minutes left, all three goals teed up by Messi.

Fekir and Lenglet were then sent off in a frantic contest by the end of which, Barca had the victory they so desperately needed following a difficult few days for the club.

Messi had put himself at the heart of a political spat this week by publicly taking exception to comments made by sporting director Eric Abidal, who suggested the players were the cause of the decision to sack Ernesto Valverde last month.

Barcelona were then beaten by Athletic Bilbao and knocked out of the Copa del Rey before the semi-finals for the first time in 10 years on Thursday.

"In Bilbao we played well but they knocked us out," said Barca coach Quique Setien. "This win will give us motivation and extra energy for the future."

To make matters worse, winger Ousmane Dembele suffered another hamstring injury, which is likely to keep him out for the rest of the season, while centre-back Samuel Umtiti appeared in court too, for alleged damages to a rented villa.

It meant defeat against Betis was unthinkable, particularly for Setien, who could ill-afford another setback against the team he managed for two years between 2017 and 2019.

Instead, Barca turned the tide, with a chaotic performance that might have been punished by better opponents, but that keeps them three points behind Real Madrid, who had earlier won at a canter in Pamplona.


- Bale returns as Real cruise -

Gareth Bale returned to the starting line-up after four matches out of the squad and a fortuitous deflection meant he assisted Isco's equaliser after Unai Garcia had given Osasuna a surprise lead.

Sergio Ramos then headed Madrid in front before substitutes Lucas Vazquez and Luka Jovic made the scoreline more emphatic.

"I'm pleased with all the players and what they're doing," said Zidane. "It's very good to stay in front."

Barca's exit in the Copa del Rey overshadowed Madrid's own shock defeat at home by Real Sociedad in the quarter-finals, a loss that brought a dramatic end to their 21-match unbeaten run.

But Zidane will be relieved to see his team swiftly back on track with a performance full of the kind of resilience that Real's rivals have so lacked in recent weeks.

Bale also keeps coming back under Zidane and the 30-year-old had chances to add a goal to a spirited display before going off to a decent reception from the away support in the second half.

This was only his third appearance since the turn of the year.

"People want there to be a problem but there isn't one," Zidane said. "He did well, offensively and defensively he gave everything. He was a bit short of fitness at the end, so he came off.

"We know the player he is and that he will give a lot from now until the end of the season. Let's count on Gareth."

Eden Hazard is still yet to return after recovering from a foot fracture. Real play Manchester City in the Champions League in less than two weeks. "It wasn't the time today again and I hope we'll see him next week," said Zidane.

Sevilla lost ground in the race for the top four as they conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 at struggling Celta Vigo.

After one win in five league games, Sevilla drop to fifth, behind Atletico Madrid on goal difference and three points adrift of third-placed Getafe.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi gives new Barca coach Setien debut win

BARCELONA - Barcelona may have a new coach but Lionel Messi remains their unquestionable talisman after guiding the Spanish champions to a nervy 1-0 win at home to Granada in La Liga on Sunday in Quique Setien's first game in charge of the club.

The Argentine struck the only goal in the 76th minute, firing into the bottom corner to complete a well crafted team move shortly after the visitors had defender German Sanchez sent off.

"Messi did what he has done his entire life," said Setien of Barca's all-time top scorer, who proved the difference on a blustery evening at Camp Nou.

"He has done this so many times in games like this, games when you cannot find a way through, things aren't going for you and you are lacking inspiration, but he always conjures up something special.

"We made a few moves like this in the first half but it didn't come off but when the ball falls to Messi you know there's a very high chance it will go in."

READ: Liverpool fans already celebrating title after United win
The victory took Barca back to the top of La Liga on 43 points after 20 games, ahead of second-placed Real Madrid on goal difference.

Barca, who sacked Ernesto Valverde last week despite being La Liga leaders and winning the last two titles by considerable margins, enjoyed 82% of possession and made a staggering 1005 passes in their first game under Setien.

The former Real Betis coach is known for his devotion to the possession-based style of play Barca became renowned for under Johan Cruyff and perfected under Pep Guardiola, but Granada, who beat Barca 2-0 in September, proved stubborn opponents.

The visitors even came close to taking the lead when Cameroonian Yan Brice Eteki struck the post in a rare foray forward but they eventually caved in after Sanchez picked up a second yellow card and was dismissed for hauling down Messi.

Messi had come closest to scoring for Barca with two powerful yet inaccurate shots either side of halftime but he made no mistake when Arturo Vidal dragged the ball into his path in a slick passing move engineered by substitute Riqui Puig.

Twenty-year-old Puig was rarely given a look in by Valverde but he was given his first league appearance of the season by 61-year-old Setien, who has pledged to honour the club's tradition of giving young, home-grown players a chance.

"He did very well, he came on when we were in a good situation with an extra man and he read the game perfectly," added the coach.

"I'm very happy because we only conceded two shots in the game, we did many things well and I hope that little by little we'll get more fluid and get sharper in front of goal."

(Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Real and Atletico fail to capitalize after Barca stunned by Levante

VALENCIA, Spain -- Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid each passed up the chance to go top of La Liga on Saturday after Barcelona conceded three goals in seven minutes during a surprise 3-1 defeat by Levante. 

Lionel Messi converted a first-half penalty at the City of Valencia Stadium for his sixth goal in five games only for Levante to stun the defending champions with an incredible treble shortly after the hour.

Yet Atletico and Sevilla played out a 1-1 draw at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, where Diego Costa missed a penalty, before Real squandered a string of opportunities at the Santiago Bernabeu in a goalless draw against Real Betis.

It means Barca will be relieved to stay at the summit - ahead of Atletico by a point with a game in hand and in front of Real on goal difference - even if their collapse against Levante should offer encouragement to their title rivals.

Meanwhile, Granada will overtake them all if they beat Real Sociedad on Sunday.

"Everything unravelled," said Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde. "We didn't start the second half well, we weren't creating chances and although they weren't either they suddenly scored two goals. The third one hurt us a lot." 

Jose Campana and Borja Mayoral scored in the 61st and 63rd minutes before Nemanja Radoja added a third in the 68th to leave their disheveled opponents with too much to do.

After seven wins on the bounce in all competitions, Barca arrived in Valencia as overwhelming favourites, particularly given the irresistible form of Messi, whose goal was the 500th of his career with his left foot.

"Opponents always play us like it is one of the biggest games of the year," Valverde added. "You have to have an answer."

After any Barcelona defeat, Valverde's future is a topic for discussion. Asked if he was surprised by his players or might consider resignation, he said: "No, to both questions."

To make matters worse, Luis Suarez was forced off in the 41st minute with an injury to his right calf and would now appear to be a doubt for Tuesday's Champions League game at home to Slavia Prague. 

An unfortunate half for Suarez had seen him booked for a foul committed by Arthur Melo but referee Hernandez Hernandez corrected his error after being made aware by VAR. 

Messi swept home his penalty after Jorge Miramon brought down Nelson Semedo and Messi might have made it two, but this time Miramon restored some credit by clearing off the line.

- Seven-minute blitz floors Barca -

Levante began the second half on the front foot but nobody could have predicted what was to follow. First, Pique's under-hit clearance was punished, as Mayoral and Jose Luis Morales shifted the ball inside to Campana, who struck hard into the corner. 

Then a loose Carles Perez header allowed Mayoral space and he did brilliantly to curl past the outstretched right hand of Marc-Andre ter Stegen. 

With the home fans still celebrating, Radoja made it three. Barcelona again failed to clear and Radoja's effort might have been saved had Sergio Busquets, on as a substitute, not caused a cruel deflection. 

Messi thought he had launched a comeback when he bundled through and poked in but Antoine Griezmann was offside and Levante might even have made it four late on if Gonzalo Melero been more precise.

It left Real Madrid, Atletico and Sevilla all with the chance to claim top spot but none seized the initiative.

Real are yet to establish a consistent run of results, even if they created more than enough chances to beat Betis and on another day might have scored five.

Eden Hazard saw a much-needed goal ruled out and Sergio Ramos went close too before Karim Benzema skewed wide at the back post from four yards. 

The best opportunity fell to Ferland Mendy but, with only Joel Robles to beat, he lifted his finish up, over and wide. Hazard had waved Mendy through and might have wondered why he did not take the ball himself. 

Betis rode their luck, particularly when Zouhair Feddal handled in the box, while Vinicius Junior and Ramos hit the goalkeeper amid mad scrambles in injury-time.

Atletico will also rue chances missed, with Costa most guilty, his 72nd-minute penalty saved by Tomas Vaclik after Alvaro Morata cancelled out Franco Vazquez's opener.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Barca's Messi receives sixth European Golden Shoe

BARCELONA - Barcelona forward Lionel Messi picked up a record-extending sixth - and third consecutive - European Golden Shoe award on Wednesday following his outstanding individual 2018-19 domestic campaign.

The award is presented to the top goalscorer in league football across Europe, with the Argentine finding the net 36 times last season as Barca retained their La Liga title.

Messi was three ahead of nearest rival Kylian Mbappe, who scored 33 times for Paris St Germain as they won France's Ligue 1.

"My team and my team mates, I would have never been able to win even one of these awards without them," Messi said at the presentation in Barcelona. "This is a recognition for everyone, all the team."

The forward, who won his first Golden Shoe in 2010, admitted he was disappointed to have missed out on Champions League glory again after Barcelona blew a 3-0 first leg lead to Liverpool at the semi-final stage. However, he said he was conscious that the league should be the club's priority.

"The Champions League is something special and we all want to win it, but we are conscious that the Liga is the most important.

"La Liga can help you reach the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. It is very difficult if you don’t perform well in the Liga to compete in the Champions League.

"We never forget about the Liga and the Copa because we are Barcelona and we always aim to win everything."

Barca have endured a difficult start to the season, losing twice in their first eight league games. They have won their last three matches to pull themselves into second place on 16 points, two behind leaders Real Madrid. 

(Reporting by Joseph Cassinelli Editing by Christian Radnedge)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Ruthless Barca thrash Sevilla but have two players sent off

BARCELONA - Lionel Messi scored his first goal of the season as Barcelona beat Sevilla 4-0 on Sunday to climb into second place in the La Liga standings behind Real Madrid but ended the game with nine men as Ousmane Dembele and debutant Ronald Araujo were sent off.

The victory saw Barca leapfrog Atletico Madrid into second place on 16 points, two behind leaders Real who they meet in three weeks' time at the Camp Nou. Atleti are third on 15 after drawing 0-0 at Real Valladolid on Sunday.

Barcelona rode their luck in the early stages of the game as Julen Lopetegui's Sevilla made an ambitious start but failed to take their chances while the Catalans were ruthlessly efficient and scored three times in eight first-half minutes.

Luis Suarez gave the champions the lead with an outstanding bicycle kick in the 27th minute and their Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal then got a crucial touch on a tame shot from Arthur Melo to double the lead in the 32nd.

Frenchman Dembele, who started ahead of 120 million euro ($131.76 million) signing Antoine Griezmann, made it 3-0 in the 35th with a superb solo dribble and finish.

Barca captain Messi scored from a free kick in the 78th to finally get off the mark in a season blighted by injuries but there was a sour end to the game for Ernesto Valverde's side.

Uruguayan defender Araujo had made his debut by replacing the injured Jean-Clair Todibo but was sent off 14 minutes later for a last-ditch challenge on Javier Hernandez, while Dembele was dismissed for protesting the decision.

Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz explained in his report that he showed Dembele a straight red card for saying "very bad, you are very bad" and waving his arms at him.

The forward will be suspended from Barca's next La Liga game at Eibar and is in danger of missing the 'Clasico' against Real, as players who have said similar words to referees in recent seasons have been handed two-game bans.

WORTHY WINNERS

Barca's scorer Vidal said they deserved the big victory.

"We were superior to them the whole time, we were always putting them under pressure and we are worthy winners," he told reporters.

"We were up against a team who are good with the ball and on the wings but we dominated them in those areas."

Lopetegui's last visit to the Camp Nou was a painful affair as his then Real Madrid side were hammered 5-1 by Barca in his final game in charge before being sacked, and this was a similarly galling experience for the former Spain coach.

His Sevilla side created three clear chances to take the lead but missed them all as Dutch striker Luuk de Jong was thwarted by keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and then missed the target, as did Brazilian midfielder Fernando.

The luckless De Jong then had a chance to strike back for his side early in the second half but hit the post, one of 16 attempts for Lopetegui's side, who only found the target four times. Barca had 15 shots, with eight on target.

"It's a crushing and undeserved defeat," said Lopetegui. "We played very well, we were brave and we tried to do what we had worked on in training but we couldn't take our chances."

Sevilla midfielder Fernando added: "We had so many chances to score, but if you switch off for one second at the Camp Nou you get punished."

($1 = 0.9107 euros) (Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Ken Ferris and Christian Radnedge)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Suarez double as Barca fight back to sink Inter

BARCELONA - Luis Suarez scored two classy goals to inspire Barcelona to a 2-1 comeback win over Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday and inflict a first defeat on Antonio Conte since he took charge of the Italians.

Inter, who lead Serie A after winning all six domestic games under Conte, produced a wonderful first-half display and took the lead in the second minute through Argentine forward Lautaro Martinez.

Barca had struggled to get going but looked more like their usual dominant selves on European nights at the Camp Nou after the break and deservedly pulled level in the 58th minute through a superb swivelling volley from Suarez.

The Catalans caught Inter out on the counter-attack to take the lead in the 84th minute, with captain Lionel Messi feeding Suarez who produced a cool low finish to prompt relieved celebrations among the 86,000 fans in the stadium.

The win put Barca second in Group F with four points from two games, the same as leaders Borussia Dortmund who won 2-0 at Slavia Prague. Inter have one point.

"This is a very valuable victory for us against a direct rival," Suarez told reporters.

"We were aware that if we continued playing like we had in the first half we could lose but the key thing was we stayed patient and were able to create chances."

Conte conceded a goal after three minutes in his last game at the Camp Nou as Chelsea coach in 2018 but this time it was his side who struck an early blow.

Inter forward Alexis Sanchez found a hole in his former side's defence with a superb through ball into the path of Martinez, who raced into the box and slid to the floor to send a shot flying past Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Conte's side did not look to sit on their goal and outplayed Barca in the first half, holding on to possession for long periods while doggedly pressing the hosts and picking them off on the counter-attack with ease.

It took a superb save from Ter Stegen to prevent Lautaro scoring again with a header, while Italian midfielder Stefano Sensi flashed a shot narrowly over the bar.

"Inter are very powerful when they are given space and it's no coincidence that they are top of their league, but we took a step forward in the second half and had more control of the play," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.

Barca were facing their first home defeat in the Champions League group stage since losing to Rubin Kazan in 2009 but were transformed after coach Ernesto Valverde replaced Sergio Busquets with Arturo Vidal.

UNSTOPPABLE VOLLEY

The Chile midfielder was given the freedom to roam forward and provided the cross from which Suarez scored his unstoppable volley, which appeared to demoralise Inter while galvanising Barca, who were worthy winners in the end.

"We had control with Busquets, Arthur and Frenkie de Jong but we needed to get closer to their area, we managed to do that in the end and it's because of that they we were able to create better chances and win the game," added Valverde.

Conte, meanwhile, rued his side not making the most of their outstanding performance in the first half.

"It's nice to receive compliments after a performance like that but we deserved much more from the game," he said.

"We proved we could cause Barca real problems but it's a shame we couldn't take our chances and kill the game." 

(Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Ed Osmond)

source: news.abs-cbn.com