Football: Barca snatch Clasico win over Madrid to strike title blow

BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona snatched a 2-1 Clasico win over Real Madrid with Franck Kessie's late goal Sunday to move 12 points clear at the top of La Liga.

The victory dents Madrid's ambitions of retaining the title and leaves the Catalans close to lifting the trophy for the first time since 2019.

Carlo Ancelotti's Real took the lead through a Ronald Araujo own goal but Barcelona pulled level when Sergi Roberto tucked home just before half-time.

Both sides had chances to win the game and Marco Asensio struck for Madrid, but the goal was ruled offside by VAR, before Alejandro Balde set up Kessie in the 92nd minute.

"We came from a Marco Asensio goal that we didn't know was offside and from losing, we scored Franck's goal, and the truth is it tastes a bit better, winning like that in the last minute," Sergi Roberto told Movistar.

"There are a lot of games left and you can never give Madrid up for dead. 12 points is a tricky distance to have to go, but it's up to us, and that is good."

The build-up to the match was overshadowed by Barcelona's corruption charge in the "Caso Negreira" refereeing scandal.

Madrid joined Spanish prosecutors' complaint against Barcelona last week and their president Florentino Perez snubbed the game for the first time in over 20 years, amid rising tensions between the two Spanish giants.

That fed the match's intensity, both on and off the pitch, in Xavi's sixth Clasico as Barcelona coach but only his first at Camp Nou.

Xavi asked fans to make the stadium a pressure cooker and they responded, selling it out, whistling Madrid in possession and conjuring one of the best atmospheres of the season.

Madrid did not manage a single shot on target in their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg defeat by Barcelona earlier in March, but Karim Benzema stung Marc-Andre ter Stegen's palms inside the first minute.

Robert Lewandowski responded at the other end by testing Thibaut Courtois as the veteran marksmen exchanged shots.

When Barcelona conceded the opening goal of the game, it was friendly fire. Araujo deflected Vinicius' cross in at the near post, with Ter Stegen helpless.

Araujo, playing at right-back to counteract the Brazilian, has enjoyed his duels with Vinicius in the past but this time the winger triumphed, albeit fortuitously. Barcelona supporters became enraged by his emphatic celebration in front of them.

It was the first goal from open play Barcelona have conceded at Camp Nou in La Liga all season long, and only the second strike at home and ninth overall.

- Comeback charge -

Barcelona complained defender Nacho, already booked, should have been sent off for a hand-off on Raphinha.

The hosts did not get their wish, but were building up steam and found the breakthrough just before half-time, from an unlikely source.

Selected in place of injured midfielder Pedri, Sergi Roberto was in the right place at the right time to control a loose ball in the box and arc it beyond Courtois.

Barcelona had significantly more possession than in their cup win over Madrid and significantly more chances.

Lewandowski sent a deflected piledriver narrowly wide as Madrid wobbled, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to roll the dice and bring on Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy.

It almost paid instant dividends as Madrid robbed Sergio Busquets and Rodrygo lashed inches over the bar.

Madrid substitute Asensio fired home what might have been the winner but the goal was ruled out for offside after a nervy wait for VAR instruction.

Barcelona seemed content with the draw but Kessie's last-gasp strike sparked wild celebrations at Camp Nou.

Asked if Madrid's hopes of defending the title were over, Courtois told Movistar: "Yes, we have to be honest, we will keep fighting until the end but it's (12 points) now, we have the better head-to-head, but they have to lose four games and we have to win them all.

"Nothing is impossible but it's very difficult."

Agence France-Presse

Football: 'Spectacular' Gavi shines as Barca beat Madrid to win Spanish Super Cup

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Barcelona convincingly beat Real Madrid 3-1 in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the Spanish Super Cup, their first trophy since coach Xavi Hernandez took over.

Inspired by teenager Gavi, who scored himself and set up goals for Robert Lewandowski and Pedri Gonzalez, the Catalans produced one of their best performances in years against their bitter Clasico rivals.

Having enjoyed great success as a player at Barca, Xavi returned in November 2021 and after a summer of heavy spending this emphatic victory is a sign his project is moving in the right direction.

Karim Benzema netted a late consolation for Madrid, who have been far from their best since the World Cup break and also fell three points behind Barcelona in La Liga last weekend.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti suffered his first defeat in a final since 2014, with Los Blancos surrendering the trophy they earned last season to Barcelona, who have now won the Super Cup a record 14 times.

"We knew it was a chance we had to take, we have lived through an era of changes at the club and in the dressing room, and this will reinforce us to keep fighting for more titles," Barca captain Sergio Busquets told Movistar.

Xavi crucially deployed four central midfielders, with 18-year-old Gavi drifting inside off a nominal starting position on the left and frequently giving Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal the slip.

Barcelona broke the deadlock when Busquets pressed well after a loose Antonio Rudiger pass, leading to Lewandowski feeding Gavi, who slotted home confidently.

Gavi turned provider for the second, running on to De Jong's pass and sliding the ball across for Lewandowski to finish clinically.

"(Gavi) is a kid that excites us all, when you see him compete like that, putting his soul out there, he's a character that is contagious for the team, he has an innate capacity for leadership," Xavi told a press conference.

"It comes from inside him, it's spectacular. At 18, I have said it many times, but don't let it stop, he has no ceiling this boy."

- Real 'weaknesses' -

Gavi, who won the Golden Boy award in 2022, was the game's outstanding performer and showed Barcelona are in good hands both now and for years to come.

Madrid's own young star Vinicius Junior was shackled by Ronald Araujo, the Uruguayan playing at right-back to directly subdue the Brazilian's threat.

"Today I think we were lacking, we went out there giving 90 percent, 80 percent, and in a final against a rival like this, you can't do that," Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde told Movistar.

Courtois denied Dembele after a brilliant Alejandro Balde run and the overworked Belgian stopper was keeping Madrid's slim hopes alive.

By contrast, Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen went untested until the 70th minute, by when his side had netted their third.

Lewandowski released Gavi, who crossed for Pedri to tap home at the back post as Barcelona romped to a compelling victory.

The only blot on Barcelona's copybook was a late Benzema strike, finishing after his first effort was blocked.

"To say it was humiliation is disrespectful," Ancelotti told a news conference.

"We lost a game against Barcelona like we beat them in the league. They played better and they deserved it, full stop."

The biggest blow for Madrid may prove to be the morale boost the victory is for their rivals.

Although Xavi will ultimately be judged on his performance in major competitions -- and Barcelona have already been eliminated from this season's Champions League -- he was thrilled by the victory.

"It brings a lot of calm, confidence, because what we planned worked brilliantly, we beat Madrid, dominating the whole game," said Xavi.

"I'll take how we played from this, it is very important to me. The trophy, yes, but how (we won it).

"We have three trophies to play for this season and this gives us confidence."

Agence France-Presse

Football: Unbeaten Madrid defeat Barcelona in Clasico to top La Liga

MADRID, Spain -- Reigning champions Real Madrid beat Barcelona 3-1 in the Clasico to overtake their fierce rivals at the top of La Liga on Sunday.

Karim Benzema opened the scoring in the 12th minute by converting a rebound after Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved from Vinicius Junior, with Fede Valverde drilling home the second from the edge of the box before the break.

Ferran Torres pulled one back for Barcelona in the final stages after good work by Ansu Fati, but Rodrygo won and converted a late penalty to ensure Carlo Ancelotti's side inflicted Barcelona's first domestic defeat of the season.

Madrid ended the Catalans' seven-game winning streak in the league and added to the still-raw pain of their struggles in Europe, where they are on the verge of Champions League elimination.

Barcelona, who spent heavily in the summer to try and catch up with their rivals, now trail them by three points. The Catalans had conceded just one league goal in eight games before the Clasico but shipped double that tally in the first half, leaving Madrid as the division's only unbeaten side.

"We knew there would come a time in the game where we had to suffer, because they move the ball well, and that's when each of us had to give more, defend well, and we did it," Madrid midfielder Luka Modric told DAZN.

"In attack we were convincing, we scored three goals and I'm very happy for our performance, I think we had a great game."

After a damaging draw with Inter Milan midweek that left Barcelona's European hopes hanging by a thread, Xavi made changes, including Jules Kounde returning in place of Gerard Pique.

Last season Barcelona's best moment came at the Bernabeu, as Xavi's side earned a surprising 4-0 win, but this visit found them at their lowest ebb since the Spanish World Cup winner took charge.

"The feeling I have right now is that we're in a negative dynamic where nothing is going for us," Xavi told DAZN. "I can't be happy with anything, losing in the Bernabeu 3-1 is very bad.

- Benzema on the money -

Vinicius probed in the opening stages down the left flank against the unconvincing Sergi Roberto and that was where Madrid's opening goal came from after 12 minutes.

The masterful Toni Kroos held off Sergio Busquets and threaded a neat pass down the wing, with Vinicius leaving Roberto for dead. Ter Stegen denied the Brazilian winger, but Benzema was on hand to slam home the rebound.

The French forward had gone five games without a goal, but ended his drought on the big stage, showing typically perfect timing as he is expected to win the Ballon d'Or in Paris on Monday.

Vinicius was booked for complaining about a push from Roberto as Barcelona began to earn a foothold in the game, but another individual error quickly pulled it away from them.

Eric Garcia's loose header found Vinicius in a dangerous area and Madrid toyed with Barcelona's defense, dragging them one way before Ferland Mendy passed the ball back across for Valverde to drill home from the edge of the area.

Madrid continued to push forward after the break and Benzema curled home a third, but it was ruled out for offside.

At the other end La Liga's top scorer Robert Lewandowski sent a free-kick into the wall and appealed for a penalty after Dani Carvajal collided with him in the box, but the referee was not interested.

Substitute Fati angled a strike wide from outside the area but Madrid were largely comfortable, sitting back and keeping Barcelona at arm's length until Torres struck.

Fati's brilliant run and cross for the Spanish winger gave Barcelona a lifeline, but Madrid sealed the win when Garcia trod on Rodrygo in the area and he beat Ter Stegen from the spot.

"We are very disappointed," Barca defender Kounde told DAZN. "I don't think we had a bad game but in the first half we failed where they are strong, on transitions.

"I think that for the first goal we should have committed a foul to stop the counter attack, and the second is quite similar. That's the strength of (their) team. Sometimes they don't have the ball, are suffering and then they score two goals."

Real Betis moved fourth with a 3-1 win over Almeria with William Carvalho netting a brace. Real Sociedad's 2-1 win at Celta Vigo takes them fifth and Espanyol earned a 1-0 victory over Real Valladolid.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Bayern beat Barcelona on Lewandowski return, Liverpool grab late winner

PARIS, France -- Bayern Munich got the better of Barcelona as Robert Lewandowski returned to face his former club on Tuesday, while a late Joel Matip goal allowed Liverpool to beat Ajax and get their Champions League campaign up and running.

There was also a surprise defeat for Tottenham Hotspur at Sporting Lisbon, and Atletico Madrid were beaten on their trip to play Bayer Leverkusen.

Both Spanish visitors to Germany came away on the losing side, with Barcelona going down 2-0 at the Allianz Arena in Group C as Lewandowski came back to the club he left in the summer after eight prolific seasons in Bavaria.

The Pole scored a hat-trick on his Champions League debut for Barca as the Catalans beat Viktoria Plzen 5-1 last week.

He was desperately close to opening the scoring in the first half in Munich, but it was Bayern who went in front five minutes into the second half when Lucas Hernandez headed in from a corner.

Leroy Sane burst through four minutes later to make it 2-0 as Julian Nagelsmann's Bayern made it two wins out of two in the group.

They have now won their last five meetings with Barcelona, including two in last season's group stage and their 8-2 victory in the 2020 quarter-finals.

"I think for 'Lewy' it was really an emotional game to come back -- a little bit like coming home, because he was so successful here," Bayern captain Manuel Neuer told Amazon Prime of his old teammate. 

"The luck in the decisive moments wasn't on his side -- and that became our luck."

Barcelona next face Inter Milan, who got their first points with a 2-0 win away to Plzen in the Czech Republic.

Edin Dzeko and Denzel Dumfries got the goals for Inter while the home side had Pavel Bucha sent off in the second half.

- Matip the hero -

Liverpool got off to a disastrous start in Group A when they lost 4-1 to Napoli in Italy, but they bounced back from that to beat Ajax 2-1 at Anfield.

Mohamed Salah shook off a poor run of form to put Jurgen Klopp's side ahead in the 17th minute, only for the Dutch champions to equalize before the half-hour courtesy of an emphatic finish from their thrilling Ghanaian talent Mohammed Kudus.

Liverpool were heading for a third game without a win in all competitions until Matip rose in front of the Kop to head in from a corner in the 89th minute, the ball crossing the line before it could be cleared out.

"I think everybody could see that we understood and that we had to put a completely different shift into the game. The boys did that," Klopp told BT Sport.

"We played a lot of good stuff against a hard fighting opposition."

That match was preceded by a minute's silence to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The other game in Group A, between Rangers and Napoli, was postponed until Wednesday due to severe limitations on police resources in Scotland as a result of the Queen's death.

- Spurs shocked -

Meanwhile Antonio Conte's Spurs slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Sporting in Portugal in Group D, with the home side scoring both goals late on at the Jose Alvalade stadium.

It looked like the English side would escape with a point after Hugo Lloris produced a stunning late save to deny Pedro Porro.

But Paulinho headed in from the resulting 90th-minute corner, and Brazilian Arthur Gomes came off the bench to make it 2-0 with a superb solo strike in injury time.

"It was a difficult result. When you lose the game you are not happy," admitted Conte.

Sporting top the group with six points, while Eintracht Frankfurt joined Spurs on three points thanks to a 1-0 win in Marseille, with Jesper Lindstrom scoring in the first half.

Leverkusen claimed their first points in Group B as they beat Atletico 2-0 with two late goals, Robert Andrich and Moussa Diaby both finding the net.

Belgian champions Club Brugge top the section with six points after a stunning 4-0 win at FC Porto.

Former Barcelona striker Ferran Jutgla opened the scoring with a penalty before Kamal Sowah, Andreas Skov Olsen and Norwegian teenager Antonio Nusa all netted in the second half.

Agence France-Presse

Spain prosecutors call for 8-year sentence for Shakira

BARCELONA -- Prosecutors in Barcelona said Friday that they would seek a prison sentence of more than eight years against global music superstar Shakira, after she rejected a plea deal on accusations of tax evasion.

Prosecutors are demanding a fine of nearly 24 million euros on the 45-year-old "Hips Don't Lie" songstress, who is accused of defrauding the Spanish tax office out of 14.5 million euros ($14.7 million) on income earned between 2012 and 2014.

The court will now need to decide on holding a trial and set a date. 

Prosecutors say Shakira moved to Spain in 2011 when her relationship with FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique became public but maintained official tax residency in the Bahamas until 2015.

Shakira has slammed the "complete violation of her rights" and "abusive methods" by the prosecutors and say they were "insisting on claiming money earned during my international tours and the show 'The Voice'" on which she was a judge in the United States, when she was "not yet resident in Spain."

Shakira was on the singing competition show between 2013 and 2014.

Shakira's defense team argues she moved to Spain full time only in 2015 and has met all tax obligations.

She says she has paid 17.2 million euros to the Spanish tax authorities and she has "no debt to the treasury for many years."

Agence France-Presse

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

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: Relentless Real beat Barca to take La Liga lead

MADRID - Real Madrid beat rivals Barcelona 2-1 at home in an entertaining, rain-soaked 'Clasico' on Saturday to stretch their winning run to six games in all competitions and go top of La Liga for the first time in three months.

Karim Benzema put the champions in charge at a soggy Alfredo di Stefano stadium with a delightful backheel in the 14th minute while a deflected Toni Kroos free kick doubled their lead in the 28th.

Barca hit back on the hour mark through Oscar Mingueza and the defender almost found the equaliser later on, while the Catalans had a huge penalty appeal waved away when Martin Braithwaite fell following a challenge by Ferland Mendy.

Real midfielder Casemiro was sent off in stoppage time for picking up two yellow cards in the space of a minute while Barca substitute Ilaix Moriba hit the crossbar in the fourth minute of added time.

The hosts survived the nail-biting finish to complete the double over Barca in a league season for the first time since 2008 and round off a sensational week after beating Liverpool 3-1 in a Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

"This is a huge win for us, you could say that it was as important as a final but we'll have to keep on fighting for a while yet," said Real defender Nacho.

"We were excellent on the counterattack, we knew they would want the ball and could do us damage with it but we got a two-goal advantage which put us in a very strong position."

Zinedine Zidane's side joined Atletico Madrid on 66 points and moved top of the table, although Atletico can reclaim first place when they visit Real Betis on Sunday.

Barca, who lost for the first time in the league since early December, dropped to third on 65.

"We kept on trying until the end to equalise and we'll keep on fighting for the title," said Barca defender Sergi Roberto.

"We had our fate in our own hands before now but not anymore, so we have to win the games we have left and hope the others drop points."

SUBLIME BACKHEEL

Barca looked to dominate possession but were powerless to control Real's counterattacks and went behind when Federico Valverde hurdled a Jordi Alba tackle to shuttle down the pitch, feeding Lucas Vazquez whose low cross was turned in by Benzema's sublime backheel.

Real caught Barca out on the break again when Vinicius Jr. raced on to a Luka Modric pass and was felled by Ronald Araujo. The free kick was in perfect range for Kroos, whose shot bounced off the back of Sergino Dest to wrong-foot Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Real were inches away from scoring a third when Valverde again tore down Barca's left-hand side and smacked the far post, Vazquez pouncing on the rebound but shooting straight at Ter Stegen.

Barca barely caused Real any trouble until the end of the first half, when Lionel Messi hit the far post straight from a corner. The Argentine had a better chance moments later from inside the area but could not beat Madrid's Thibaut Courtois.

Koeman took decisive action at halftime, throwing on Antoine Griezmann for Dest and the French substitute helped pull Barca back into contention, playing a dummy which led to Mingueza scoring.

The torrential rain caused Messi to change his soaked shirt late in the game and the slippery conditions helped set up the frantic finish, but Real weathered the storm.

(Reporting by Richard Martin Editing by Toby Davis)

-reuters-

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: Messi and Trincao give Barca comeback victory over Betis

SEVILLE, Spain - Lionel Messi came off the bench to haul Barcelona back from a goal down against Real Betis to win 3-2 but it was winger Francisco Trincao who snatched victory by choosing the perfect moment to score his first goal for the club.

Barca coach Ronald Koeman took the surprising decision to leave Messi and the in-form Frenkie de Jong out of his starting lineup, perhaps with next week's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at Sevilla in mind, and saw his side fall behind to a Borja Iglesias strike on the counterattack in the 38th minute.

Messi levelled for Barca in the 59th, less than two minutes after coming on, and then helped his side find a second goal by releasing Jordi Alba with a sumptuous pass which led to Betis defender Victor Ruiz sending the ball into his own net.

Ruiz made amends by powering in a header from a Nabil Fekir free kick in the 75th minute but Portuguese Trincao had the final say, smashing a shot from just inside the box in off the crossbar in the 87th to finally get off the mark for Barca in his 17th appearance in all competitions.

"I didn't need to score for my own good but you have to help out when you can and I'm very happy that we managed to get the win," Trincao told reporters.

"My team mates have always encouraged me and they all congratulated me on the goal."

Barca, who have won their last six league games, are second in the standings on 43 points, seven behind leaders Atletico Madrid who have two games in hand.

The Catalans also pulled off an impressive comeback win against Granada in a Copa del Rey quarter-final tie on Wednesday, clawing their way back from two goals down to win 5-3 in extra-time.

Barca defender Ronald Araujo was forced off in the 12th minute with an ankle problem and Koeman took another unorthodox move by sending on De Jong, who has recently reinvented himself as an attacking midfielder, to deputize at centreback.

The Catalans produced another chaotic display in defense but compensated thanks to their star-studded attack, particularly after Messi and Trincao came on in a double change from Koeman.

"We changed our attitude in the second half and that was the most important factor in getting the victory," added Trincao.

"In the first half we were a little fearful and we didn't take many risks." 

(Reporting by Richard Martin Editing by Toby Davis and Pritha Sarkar)

-reuters-

Football: Messi hits goal 650 as Barca get revenge on Athletic

BARCELONA - Lionel Messi scored his 650th goal for Barcelona while Antoine Griezmann struck the winner in a 2-1 home success over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Sunday, avenging a defeat by the Basque side in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Messi curled in a stunning free kick after 20 minutes for his milestone goal on the same day the club pledged to sue Spanish newspaper El Mundo for publishing the full details of the Argentine's contract.

Ronald Koeman's side recorded a fifth straight Liga win and moved above Real Madrid into second on goal difference with 40 points, 10 behind Atletico Madrid who have a game in hand.

Messi had missed a gilt-edged chance at the start when he fired straight at keeper Unai Simon and Barca spurned several more opportunities to increase their lead before halftime.

Athletic, who had won their previous five matches in all competitions in a flying start under new coach Marcelino, failed to get going but levelled in the 49th thanks to an own goal.

Jordi Alba tried to prevent Athletic's Oscar de Marcos reaching a cross but instead prodded into the Barca net.

The hosts struggled to respond but finally restored their lead in the 74th when Griezmann, who had scored twice in the 3-2 Super Cup final defeat, arrived in the box to knock home a cross from defender Oscar Mingueza.

Griezmann paid tribute to Messi after the game when asked whether the Argentine, who tried to leave Barcelona in the close season, was being pushed further away from the club.

"We're all enjoying Messi, he's a legend and we hope he can continue to help the club to win," said the Frenchman.

Athletic defender Inigo Martinez said his side had the misfortune to face Messi when he seemed out to prove a point.

"We all know Messi's quality. When he's all fired up like he was today he scores goals like that and there's nothing you can do about it," he said.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Ken Ferris)

-reuters-

Football: Messi saves lackluster Barca, Sociedad reclaim top spot

MADRID, Spain -- Lionel Messi saved Barcelona from another embarrassing result by scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over lowly Levante, while Real Sociedad returned top of La Liga on Sunday.

Messi struck with 14 minutes remaining of a lacklustre display from Barca at the Camp Nou which will do little to ease fan fears following their 3-0 hammering at the hands of Juventus midweek.

Ronald Koeman's side are still way off the pace in the title race, nine points behind Sociedad who reclaimed first place despite only drawing 1-1 with Eibar.

Barcelona do however have two games in hand on the Basque outfit.

Atletico are level on 26 points with Sociedad and also have two games in hand while Real Madrid are now just three points behind the leaders having played one less after beating their local rivals 2-0 on Saturday.

Villarreal are four points off the lead in fourth after drawing 1-1 at Real Betis, who are one point behind Barca in ninth.

"The team is working well, they gave the maximum," said Koeman.

"We still lack a little confidence in ourselves, in our game, but we had a lot of chances, and I have nothing to say about the attitude of the players in this match."

Barca managed to force several saves from Aitor Fernandez, with the Levante goalkeeper doing particularly well to push away a stinging shot from Martin Braithwaite in the 16th minute and Antoine Griezmann's header five minutes later.

However the best chance of the opening period fell to Jorge de Frutos in the 12th minute, the Spaniard somehow shooting straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen after the ball broke kindly for him right in front of goal.

- Messi saves day -

Barca continued to dominate possession in the second half but if anything looked less threatening, with Fernandez being called into action largely for shots that were hit straight at him.

However with Levante looking more comfortable than a side of their level should at the Camp Nou, Messi saved his team with a clinical finish off the post after collecting Frenkie de Jong's pass.

It was hardly the sort of display to honour Sergio Busquets' 593rd appearance for the club, which takes him level at fourth of all time for matches played for Barca alongside Carles Puyol.

However the three points are a boost ahead of the visit of Sociedad on Wednesday, which is then followed up by another home clash with Valencia on Saturday.

Earlier Ander Barrenetxea gave Real Sociedad the lead in San Sebastian with a thumping strike in the 20th minute, but Sergi Enrich turned home with 25 minutes remaining to send his team 10th on 15 points.

Sociedad would have had a bigger gap between them and Atletico had Igor Zubeldia's 80th-minute tap-in not been ruled out by VAR for an extremely tight offside.

Sunday's draw was Sociedad's sixth in as many games in all competitions, and came after another 1-1 draw at Napoli on Thursday which saw them squeeze into the last 32 of the Europa League.

Granada won 1-0 at Elche in Sunday's other match, a win that keeps them one point ahead of Barcelona.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Ronaldo scores twice as Juve crush Messi's troubled Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain -- Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice from the penalty spot to win his battle with rival Lionel Messi and guide Juventus to a 3-0 win over Barcelona on Tuesday, earning the Italians top spot in Champions League Group G.

The former Real Madrid striker and his Argentina counterpart traded Ballon d'Or wins for a decade between 2008-2017 and were figureheads for the duelling Spanish giants, but there was only one winner at the Camp Nou as they met for the first time since Ronaldo's departure for Juve in 2018.

Andrea Pirlo's Juventus lost 2-0 at home against Barcelona in October without Ronaldo, sidelined with Covid-19, but were greatly improved and earned the first Champions League away win against Barcelona since Bayern Munich triumphed in 2013.

Both sides, tied on 15 points, were assured of qualification before kick-off, but Juve's three-goal victory handed them a superior head-to-head record.

"When you have this desire to sacrifice yourself and an infallible sniper, like Ronaldo, you are sure you can win these matches," Bonucci told Sky Sport Italia.

"As we showed in the derby (win over Torino), if we play with this desire, we bring home the results we want. The next step is to do this in all our games."

Ronald Koeman, reeling from Barcelona's 2-1 defeat by promoted minnows Cadiz on Saturday in La Liga, reacted by making four changes but the hosts started badly.

It only took 13 minutes for Ronaldo to break the deadlock, slotting home from the penalty spot after the referee deemed Ronald Araujo's challenge on him a foul.

Juventus did not relent and their pressure led to a second goal, US midfielder Weston McKennie volleying home Juan Cuadrado's sweetly clipped cross in the 20th minute.

The Catalans and their captain Messi finally woke from their slumber, as the attacker had one effort blocked by Matthijs de Ligt and another saved by veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, while Pjanic lashed over the bar.

Ronaldo notched his second from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute after Clement Lenglet handled clumsily in the area, as the hosts imploded.

Antoine Griezmann, who was invisible in the first half, grazed the crossbar with a looping header from a Messi free kick, and Buffon beat out another effort, with De Ligt's pressure enough to stop Martin Braithwaite converting the rebound.

Leonardo Bonucci had a fourth goal ruled out for offside after he tapped in Ronaldo's effort from close range, with Messi trying in vain at the other end to answer Ronaldo, but he found the 42-year-old Buffon in his way time and time again.

Griezmann was critical of his own side after they fell to their first home Champions League group stage defeat since 2009.

"We were not good enough, they over-ran us in the first half, we lacked everything," he told Movistar. 

"A lack of attitude, desire, wanting to run, defending, attacking, everything was bad."

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was also unhappy.

"There are two things, one thing is individual mistakes, and the other is how the team defends, these are different things," he said.

"Right now teams can score against us in any given moment. This is very tough, we need to come out of this, and work very hard."

Agence France-Presse

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: Aspas strikes late to blunt Barca's title bid

VIGO, Spain - Spain striker Iago Aspas dealt a fresh blow to Barcelona's La Liga title hopes by striking a late free kick to snatch a 2-2 draw at home to the Catalans on Saturday as Quique Setien's side twice threw away the lead in a thrilling match.

The draw put Barca back on top of the table on 69 points after 32 games but Real Madrid, on 68, can go two points clear at the summit if they beat Espanyol away from home on Sunday.

Luis Suarez headed Barca in front in the 20th minute thanks to a piece of ingenuity from Lionel Messi, who looked certain to fire at goal from a free kick but instead lofted the ball towards his Uruguayan strike partner.

Russia striker Fedor Smolov equalised for Celta early in the second half, knocking in a pass from Okay Yokuslu to complete a quick counterattack after Barca's Ivan Rakitic had given the ball away.

But Suarez restored Barca's lead in the 67th minute after combining again with Messi, swivelling to fire into the bottom corner.

The second goal looked to have averted a second consecutive away draw for Barca after last week's goalless stalemate at Sevilla but Aspas won a late free kick after falling over the outstretched legs of Gerard Pique.

Celta's talismanic striker made the late opportunity count by sending a low drive around the wall and into the near bottom corner, flummoxing Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Celta should have won the game in added time when Nolito arrived at the far post with the goal gaping, but instead of tapping into the net his shot went straight at Ter Stegen.

Celta are 16th on 34 points, the draw taking them eight points clear of the relegation zone. 

(Reporting by Richard Martin Editing by Christian Radnedge)

-reuters-