Football: Real and Barca battle back as Atletico lose ground at the top

MADRID -- Real Madrid and Barcelona both came from behind to seal victories that extended their advantage over the chasing pack at the top of La Liga on Saturday as Gareth Bale was jeered by his own fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Barca needed a late winner from Arturo Vidal to beat bottom-club Leganes 2-1 after Luis Suarez headed home a Lionel Messi free-kick to cancel out a brilliant opener from Leganes forward Youssef En-Nesyri.

Madrid were behind after 110 seconds against high-flying Real Sociedad but Karim Benzema scored his sixth goal in five games, before Fede Valverde and Luka Modric wrapped up a 3-1 win in the second half.

It means Atletico Madrid lost further ground by being held to a 1-1 draw at Granada, with Real Sociedad remaining fifth, five points off the top. Sevilla, in fourth, play at Real Valladolid on Sunday.

Madrid's comeback was overshadowed by the whistles for Bale after his controversial celebration following Wales' win over Hungary last week. He celebrated with a flag that read: "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order."

The fans jeered when his name was announced before kick-off and even louder when he came on as a substitute in the second half.

"I can't tell you it's fair or unfair," said Zidane after the match. "But we need our fans to be with us. I can't control it, neither can Gareth or anyone. But Gareth came on and he played very well."

Without Bale, Benzema continued his excellent form with another goal and an assist for Modric late on. In between, Valverde gave Madrid the lead with a deflected shot from the edge of the area.

Madrid's fans were also given the chance to see Martin Odegaard, their 20-year-old Norwegian loanee at Real Sociedad, who has been key to their strong start to the season.

Odegaard impressed, with one through ball in the first half even drawing gasps of approval from the home support.

- Gritty Barcelona -

Barcelona's gritty victory will come as a relief to coach Ernesto Valverde too ahead of a testing month for his side.

They play Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in the Champions League and a goalless draw against Slavia Prague earlier this month means qualification from Group F is no longer guaranteed.

After Dortmund, Barca then play at Atletico in La Liga to start a month that will include trips to Inter Milan in the Champions League and Real Sociedad in La Liga before the season's first Clasico.

"It was a big win because the game was very difficult," Valverde said. "The pitch was dreadful, there was a lot of wind and they scored early. 
"I don't want it to sound like an excuse but it made it hard and still we were able to win."

The home side made the perfect start as En-Nesyri beat Gerard Pique with a wonderful early strike.

Pique has spent the international break juggling football with the Davis Cup, the revamped tennis tournament in Madrid that he is organising through his marketing company.

"There is more noise outside the club than inside," said Pique after the match.

"I think it's got a bit out of hand -- whether I'm in Madrid, eating here, having dinner there -- it's all part of the circus. But I do my job. I come here, I play football. And that's it."

One pass from Roque Mesa was enough to set En-Nesyri free against the 32-year-old in the 12th minute. Pique jostled but was taken by surprise as En-Nesyri nipped inside and bent a shot into the far corner.

Suarez went close, Pique hit the post and Suarez did find the net, glancing in Messi's clipped free-kick for his ninth goal of the season.

Barca's second owed much to luck but it came from another cross. Pique rose to head in but the ball missed him and cannoned off the foot of Ruben Perez. Vidal was waiting on the line to prod in. 

Atletico were unable to find a winner as they played out their seventh draw of the season, the joint most in the division.

Ronan Lodi scored his first La Liga goal after being slipped though by Hector Herrera but Herrera was at fault for the equaliser, losing his marker as German Sanchez powered in a superb header to earn Granada a point.

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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)

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Football: Barca a 'little closer' to La Liga title after beating Atletico

BARCELONA -- Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scored twice in two minutes as Barcelona broke the resistance of 10-man Atletico Madrid on Saturday to go 11 points clear of their La Liga title rivals.

Diego Costa was sent off in the 28th minute at Camp Nou after insulting referee Gil Manzano but while Atletico held on for almost another hour, Suarez and Messi struck late to seal a pivotal 2-0 win.

The victory leaves Barca almost out of sight with seven games left to play and maintains momentum ahead of Wednesday's trip to Manchester United in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.

"It is three crucial points," coach Ernesto Valverde said. "We are a little closer."

"It gives us a big margin," said Suarez. "We've taken not just one, but two steps forward."

United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in the crowd along with his assistant Mike Phelan but this was a familiar story of Barcelona's deadly duo delivering when it mattered most.

Costa's early and needless dismissal left Atletico needing snookers just to avoid defeat, let alone pull off the win that their coach Diego Simeone had said last week was the only result to keep their challenge alive.

"I asked the referee and he told me Costa said something to him," Simeone said. "Other players have said things and not been sent off but that does not justify what Costa did."

Suarez intervened with a superb long-range strike in the 85th minute, before Messi added a second in the 86th. The pair have now scored 53 league goals between them this season while for Messi, this was a record 335th La Liga victory.

Only a monumental collapse could now bring Atletico back into contention and more likely is Barca have earned themselves the luxury of resting players, around an even greater focus on success in Europe.

Antoine Griezmann, who decided against joining Barcelona last summer, was whistled as his name was read out before kick-off and he struggled for chances in what quickly became, after Costa departed, a contest of attack against defence.

Atletico seemed to be finding their way into the game when Manzano showed a red card to the Spaniard, who had pursued the referee and seemingly insulted him after a tangle with Philippe Coutinho.

A fuming Costa was escorted away by Gerard Pique and Barca took control. Jordi Alba had already hit the post after defence-splitting pass by Messi and Coutinho should have scored after a brilliant backheel by Suarez.

Messi came alive at the start of the second half as one shot was saved by the excellent Jan Oblak and another mesmeric run ended with a feathered pass to Suarez but again Oblak saved, this time with his foot.

Finally, the resistance of Atletico and their goalkeeper was broken as Barca scored twice in two minutes. The first was a peach as Suarez lined up a shot from 25 yards and whipped it past the left hand of Oblak into the bottom corner.

The second was a display of Messi magic, his weaving run from the right leaving both Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin on their backs. A tucked finish found its way in to finish off the game and, probably, Atletico too.

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Football: Messi and Suarez late show rescues Barca in draw at Villarreal

VILA-REAL, Spain - Barcelona's Lionel Messi came off the bench in his side's hour of need to inspire the Liga leaders to battle back from 4-2 down in stoppage time to snatch a remarkable 4-4 draw at struggling Villarreal on Tuesday.

The Catalans avoided a first league loss since November with a thumping left-foot strike from Luis Suarez deep into added time after captain and top scorer Messi gave them hope with a deadly free kick in the 90th minute.

The draw saw Barca's lead over Atletico Madrid, who earlier won 2-0 at home to Girona, trimmed to eight points ahead of Saturday's top-of-the-table clash at the Nou Camp. Barcelona have 70 points to Atletico's 62 with eight games left.

Even without Messi, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic in their starting lineup, the visitors still strolled into the lead through a Philippe Coutinho goal in the 12th minute, which Brazilian forward Malcom soon doubled with a header.

But Villarreal, who began the game one point above the relegation zone, hauled themselves into contention with a strike from 19-year-old Samuel Chukwueze midway through the first half.

Cameroon striker Karl Toko Ekambi took advantage of slack positioning from Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to equalise soon after the interval and Vicente Iborra completed the home side's remarkable revival just after the hour mark.

Barca's Argentine talisman Messi was called from the bench to rescue the champions but instead Villarreal increased their lead with a strike from their substitute Carlos Bacca.

Villarreal's Alvaro Gonzalez was then dismissed for a second booking with four minutes remaining, paving the way for South Americans Messi and Suarez to strike for Barcelona and produce a remarkable finish to an enthralling contest.

"It was a crazy game, one which it seemed either side could have won comfortably, and it speaks volumes about the strength of this league, where you can never assume you're going to win a game easily," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.

"It was very important not to lose, even though we wanted the three points. The sensation we felt with the late comeback makes us feel very good, it shows we are never ready to give in. If we'd lost we'd be feeling different about the Atletico game."

EARLY ADVANTAGE

Barca seized an early advantage when Brazilian Malcom tore down the right wing and rolled the ball across the goal for Coutinho to tap into an empty net.

Malcom then scored his first goal in La Liga by heading home a cross from Arturo Vidal, while Coutinho should have made it 3-0 but his attempted chip bounced off the far post.

Villarreal got back into the game with the help of veteran midfielder Santi Cazorla, who picked out Chukwueze with an incisive pass, and although the Nigerian shot against the post, he calmly tucked the rebound into the net.

The hosts were galvanised and produced a bold and exciting display of counter-attacking football that made it easy to forget they have been struggling at the foot of the table for most of the season.

But, spurred on by Messi, Barca roared back to life, showing why they enjoy such a generous lead at the top of the league.

Despite the euphoria of the game's finale, Valverde urged his players to improve for the rest of the season as they look to win a treble of La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey.

"This game should help us a lot with the games we have left and make us realise that there's still a lot left to do," he said with Atletico up next and Manchester United waiting in next week's Champions league quarter-final, first leg.

"We can't allow our opponents to outnumber us in attack like they did today, if we are to attack well we need to defend well." 

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Football: Messi leads demolition of Lyon to take Barca through

BARCELONA - Lionel Messi led the way with two goals and two assists as Barcelona reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in style by thrashing Olympique Lyonnais 5-1 at home on Wednesday and advancing by the same scoreline on aggregate.

Barca captain Messi opened the scoring with a "Panenka" penalty chipped straight down the middle in the 17th minute after Luis Suarez was fouled in the area, putting the home side ahead in the tie after a goalless first leg in France.

Suarez then rounded Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to lay on a perfect pass for the unmarked Philippe Coutinho to nudge into an open net and double Barca's lead, although Lyon hauled themselves back into contention with a second-half strike from Lucas Tousart.

Messi soon killed off any hopes of an unlikely comeback from the French side, however, carving his way through the defence to score in the 78th minute before toying with Lyon's back line twice more and laying off passes for Gerard Pique and then Ousmane Dembele to complete the rout.

"We played a great first half, then from a moment's distraction it was 2-1 and we had five or 10 delicate minutes," said Barca striker Suarez.

"We always knew it would be like this. The important thing is that we got the third goal and then we were far calmer."

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde had warned his side of complacency after Paris St Germain and Real Madrid's surprise exits, and his words carried more weight after Atletico Madrid were knocked out by Juventus despite a 2-0 first leg win.

His side were in a more vulnerable position as a score draw would have sent them out, and they began the game as if they meant business, with Messi firing an early shot which Lopes had to beat away for a corner.

Lyon's Lopes had to be taken off injured later in the first half, leaving the field in tears after taking a blow to the face, with Mathieu Gorgelin replacing him and making his Champions League debut.

MESSI SETTLES BARCA NERVES

Barca looked unsettled for a brief period after Tousart's goal had put Lyon one goal away from knocking the Catalans out, and the home side defended with an air of panic.

But Messi soon eased their nerves, toying with Lyon's defence before releasing a shot too powerful for Gorgelin to stop.

He continued to torment the visitors, gifting defender Pique a sliding tap-in with a beautiful pass and then setting up substitute Dembele.

Barca reached the last eight of Europe's elite competition for the 12th consecutive season and will be Spain's only representatives in Friday's quarter-final draw.

Lyon goalscorer Tousart had little complaint about the final result and said his side were powerless to deal with Messi.

"We have to concede they were better than us. We weren’t up to the challenge and we were up against a great team, and in the end we were well beaten," he said.

"There was no anti-Messi plan, and it's so difficult to defend against a player of his quality. He has instinctive talent."

Lyon coach Bruno Genesio added: "Tonight Messi was in Champions League mode. He's a genius and can do things that nobody else can. Sometimes he is just unstoppable." 

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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Football: Suarez double downs Madrid to send Barca into Cup final

MADRID -- A clinical Barcelona won 3-0 at Real Madrid in an intense second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday as a Luis Suarez double helped them secure a 4-1 aggregate victory and a spot in the final for the sixth straight season.

A dominant yet wasteful Real ravaged their rivals in the first half while spurning a string of clear chances at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Yet Barca went ahead against the run of play in the 50th minute as Ousmane Dembele led a counter-attack and Suarez slotted his pass into the net.

Spearheaded by the pace and confidence of Brazilian teenager Vinicius Jr, Madrid continued to fly forward but failed to find the target.

Barca effectively killed off the tie when Raphael Varane bundled the ball into his own net as he tried to prevent Suarez reaching another cross from Dembele.

Suarez then earned a penalty and further humiliated Madrid by converting with an audacious 'Panenka', deceiving goalkeeper Keylor Navas by chipping the ball into the net.

Barca, who lost first leg games to Levante and Sevilla in the Cup and drew 1-1 with Madrid in the first leg of the semi-final, booked their place in the final at the Benito Villamarin stadium, the home of Real Betis, on May 25.

Bidding to win the trophy for a record fifth year in a row, the Catalans will face either Betis or Valencia, who drew 2-2 in the first leg of their semi-final and meet again on Thursday.

"This is another demonstration of how good this team is. People keep saying that we don't care about the Cup, but we have shown that we always want to win every single trophy," Suarez told reporters.

NUMEROUS CHANCES

Real coach Santiago Solari stressed his side's dominance in the game but cursed their inability to take their numerous chances.

"In football you have to be efficient and take the chances you get," he said.

"We fell with honour, we could do no more. We were not clinical but they were, and we go home feeling hurt because we really wanted to reach the final."

Worst of all for Madrid, La Liga leaders Barca will be back at the Bernabeu once again on Saturday for a league fixture which, should they win again, would see them move 12 points clear of their arch rivals.

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde attempted to neutralise the threat of Vinicius by deploying right-sided defenders Sergi Roberto and Nelson Semedo to protect the left flank but the Brazilian was still the most dangerous player in the first half.

Vinicius could have won a penalty when Semedo clattered into him and had three clear chances to score before the interval, failing to hit the target twice from inside the area, and being thwarted by Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

He continued to dance his way through Barca's defence after the break but his final touch let him down.

Shortly after Suarez's opener, he cut into the box and delivered a cross which Sergio Reguilon met with a diving header, but Ter Stegen flew across his goal to repel the effort.

Madrid, who were also beaten 3-0 by Barca at the Bernabeu in La Liga last season and were thrashed 5-1 by their rivals back in October, lost their heads after that chance and there was no coming back following Varane's own goal.

Barca seemed to relish their role as Real's tormentors and Suarez took the ball from usual penalty taker Lionel Messi to complete their fourth victory in five visits to the Bernabeu with an ice-cool finish from the spot. 

(Reporting by Richard Martin Editing by Toby Davis and Ian Chadband)

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Barcelona thrash Sevilla to win King's Cup again

MADRID - Unstoppable duo Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi helped Barcelona thrash Sevilla 5-0 to win the King's Cup final for the fourth consecutive season on Saturday as they close in on a likely domestic double.

Luis Suarez struck twice in the first half for the Catalans as they won the competition for a record 30th time. However, it was Iniesta and Messi who pulled all the strings as the La Liga leaders blew away Vincenzo Montella's stunned side.


Philippe Coutinho set up Suarez for the opening goal in the 14th minute and Barcelona dominated the rest of the game. The result goes some way to make up for their humiliating Champions League quarter-final elimination by AS Roma earlier in April.

Messi slammed home the second after good work from Jordi Alba with Suarez adding another, before Iniesta netted from a tight angle. Coutinho added a fifth from the penalty spot to complete the rout.

"This doesn't cover up what happened in Rome but it's an important title," said Suarez.

"At the start of the season we would have taken this, there's huge merit to it.

"It's strange to be knocked out of the Champions League, we gave the impression that we could go far in it."

Both Barcelona and Sevilla fans sang Iniesta's name when he was substituted in the final stages, with the chants echoing around the Wanda Metropolitano stadium until after the final whistle.

The veteran midfielder is considering a move to the Chinese Super League and this could be his last cup final for Barcelona - and he made sure it was one to remember.

"Barcelona had a formidable game and when they are like that it's hard to stop them," said Montella.

"They have formidable players like Iniesta, Messi, Suarez.

"I'm very sorry to the fans who were fantastic today. We are not in our best form, we have to react."

With Iniesta leading the way, Barca came flying out of the blocks and moved ahead after a long ball from goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen found Coutinho deep in opposition territory and he set up Suarez.

Sevilla rallied but after a couple of half-chances Barcelona doubled their lead when Iniesta sent Alba flying down the left. The Spaniard backheeled the ball into Messi's path and the Argentine fired in.

Messi then created the third for Suarez with a sublime through-ball and the fourth for Iniesta, whose goal will be a special moment to take with him if he does depart.

Coutinho's penalty after Clement Lenglet handled the ball in the area helped Ernesto Valverde's side finish emphatically and they were soon able to celebrate with the cup which had their name on it from the start - and recently always seems to.

(Reporting by Rik Sharma Editing by Christian Radnedge)

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Record-breaking Barca back on track after beating Valencia

BARCELONA - Barcelona responded to their shock Champions League elimination to AS Roma by beating Valencia 2-1 on Saturday in a subdued atmosphere at the Nou Camp, setting a Liga record run of 39 games unbeaten and taking them ever closer to another title.

Luis Suarez gave Barca the lead after a quarter of an hour by meeting a delicious outside-of-the-foot pass from former Liverpool team mate Philippe Coutinho, scoring with one touch from close range.

Club-record signing Coutinho then delivered an outswinging corner from which Samuel Umtiti headed in Barca's second in the 51st minute, shortly after Gerard Pique had saved Umtiti's blushes by clearing a shot from Valencia forward Santi Mina off the line following a slip by the France defender.

Captain Dani Parejo pulled a goal back for third-placed Valencia by squeezing an 87th-minute penalty under Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but the Catalans withstood an exciting final spell to move to within seven points of their 25th league title.

Ernesto Valverde's side lead nearest challengers Atletico Madrid by 14 points in the standings, with Atletico hosting Levante and fourth-placed Real visiting basement club Malaga on Sunday.

The Barca coach praised his players for putting the Roma defeat behind them but said their European exit had punctured their enthusiasm for the unbeaten record.

"This wasn’t a week to think about records, we don’t give it too much importance. It was more important that we picked ourselves up after a difficult week," Valverde told a news conference.

"It's normal that these players keep on breaking records. But it was a fundamental win in many ways. First of all, I am happy with the three points. We needed 10 points to win the league, now it’s seven."

With heavy rain falling in the city throughout the day, 30,000 seats at the 99,000-capacity Nou Camp were unoccupied and even when Suarez provided a slick finishing touch to Coutinho's wonderful pass, celebrations were muted.

Valencia had made a good start and winger Goncalo Guedes hammered an early shot at Ter Stegen, who made another impressive save to thwart the Portuguese later in the half after Gerard Pique had surrendered the ball.

The German goalkeeper also ran himself into trouble as he sent a pass straight at the feet of Valencia forward Rodrigo but redeemed himself by tipping the shot on to the crossbar and behind.

Lionel Messi was inactive for much of the first half but grew into the game in the second, narrowly volleying over the bar and fizzing a shot just wide after tearing through the Valencia defence.

"The atmosphere around the club this week has been a bit gloomy and we needed to put the brakes on that so I have to congratulate the players because it’s not been easy," added Valverde.

"The sensation is that we have failed, that we have disappointed the supporters, but we have to look forward and not lose sight of what we can still achieve this season."

(Reporting by Richard Martin, Editing by Neville Dalton and Clare Fallon)

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Barca extend Liga lead before Clasico by thrashing Deportivo

BARCELONA - Barcelona moved six points clear at the top of La Liga by easing to a 4-0 win at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday with doubles from Luis Suarez and Paulinho ahead of next week's 'Clasico' against champions Real Madrid.

Suarez slotted a generous cutback from Lionel Messi into an open goal in the 29th minute to deservedly put Barca ahead, while Brazil international Paulinho got the second in the 41st, tapping in on the rebound after Messi had hit the post.

Messi had a frustrating night in front of goal and was unable to add to his 14 league goals this season as he hit the woodwork three times and had a penalty saved by former youth team mate Ruben Martinez with the score at 3-0.

Suarez then scored his fourth goal in three league games by firing home a Sergi Roberto cross inside the area two minutes into the second half and Paulinho completed the rout in the 75th, pouncing after Jordi Alba's shot had come off the post.


Barca lead the standings on 42 points, six ahead of Atletico Madrid and eight in front of third-placed Valencia.

They are 11 clear of Real, who have a game in hand after missing this weekend's action due to playing in the Club World Cup, where they beat Brazilians Gremio 1-0 in Saturday's final.

"We go into next week's game (against Real) feeling very happy and the best way to prepare for a game of that level is to win and feel confident and we are feeling great," Barca coach Ernesto Valverde told reporters.

"It's a very difficult game against a huge rival and we are very excited about playing it. I don't think a win (against Real) would assure us of the title because Atletico are six points behind. What is clear is that seasons are very long and no-one wins the title at this stage."

Barca forward Paco Alcacer went off injured in the first half and will miss the 'Clasico' after being ruled out for three weeks.

La Liga's lack of goal-line technology or a video assistant referee (VAR) came under the spotlight again near the end of the first half when Suarez's stylish 'rabona' shot from close range appeared to cross the goal-line before Martinez punched it away.

The Catalans were denied a goal three weeks ago when Messi's shot in a 1-1 draw with Valencia clearly crossed the goal-line.

(Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Ken Ferris)

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Football star Messi weds childhood sweetheart

ROSARIO, Argentina - Lionel Messi said "I do" to childhood sweetheart Antonella Roccuzzo Friday in his Argentine hometown Rosario, where footballers and celebrities including pop singer Shakira had gathered for the "wedding of the century."

Following the private ceremony, the couple appeared happy and relaxed as they walked a red carpet before hundreds of media at a hotel and casino complex, Roccuzzo donning a tight, mermaid-style gown by Spanish designer Rosa Clara.

Shakira and her husband, Messi's teammate Gerard Pique, flew in to join the 260 guests including numerous footballers such as Messi's Barcelona strike partners Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Argentine media called it the "wedding of the century" for Rosario, the gritty northern port city where Messi, 30, and his bride, 29, met when the player was nine years old.

Former Barca and current Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas was in attendance, along with Argentina and Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero.

ROAST GIZZARDS

The party was to be a respite for Messi from his legal woes. A Spanish court last month rejected his appeal against a conviction for tax fraud.

Brunette bride Roccuzzo wore a white, curve-hugging dress with a deep sweetheart neckline and embroidered straps by Rosa Clara- a Spanish designer who has dressed actress Eva Longoria and Spain's Queen Letizia.

The wedding was held at 2200 GMT in the City Center casino, which stands right next to a crime-ridden slum run by drug gangs.

The civil wedding ceremony and party were all slated to take place inside the venue, and the guests will be lodged there too.

The feast will reportedly feature Argentine delicacies such as roast gizzards.

Uruguayan pop bands Rombai and Marama plus singer Karina, Aguero's wife, will perform at the reception.

There were also rumors that there would be singing by Shakira, the Colombian diva famous for "Hips Don't Lie" and "Whenever, Wherever."

Shakira had recently denied rumors that she would miss the wedding due to a quarrel with Roccuzzo.

HUMBLE COUPLE

Messi and Roccuzzo live in Barcelona where he plays, but still return regularly to Rosario for vacations.

He moved to Spain when he was 13 to join FC Barcelona, but the couple kept in touch.

Messi has gone on to win the top Ballon d'Or award five times. He is widely regarded as the world's best footballer.

But various old friends of the couple in their home city said the bride and groom are humble folk who have never forgotten where they come from.

"They are the love of each other's lives," Messi's childhood friend Diego Vallejos told AFP.

Instead of wedding presents, they have asked for donations to a children's charity.

'LEO AND ANTO'

The couple have reportedly spent the past two weeks in Rosario with family, but have kept out of sight of the reporters who have invaded the city.

Rumors circulated of bachelor and bachelorette parties, but the only evidence that emerged was a photo, posted by ex-Barca goalkeeper Jose Pinto, of Messi enjoying a barbecue with a few friends.

Some friends of Roccuzzo have shared pictures of her relaxing with relatives.

On the eve of the wedding, a festive atmosphere reigned in the Las Heras neighborhood where Messi grew up.

"We will celebrate," said Damian Lugoni, 27, a local sausage sandwich vendor.

"I wish good luck to Leo and Anto, who is just as simple and nice as him."

"We are all happy for them," said Lisandro Urteaga, an artist who was called in to paint a mural of Messi in the neighborhood for the occasion.

"Let him celebrate the way someone like him deserves. He is a real example as a human being - although when he plays football he doesn't seem to be from this planet."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LA LIGA: Suarez double keeps Barca top, Marcelo rescues Real

BARCELONA - Barcelona came through a testing local derby at Espanyol, winning 3-0 to cling to their slender lead at the top of La Liga after rivals Real Madrid had set the challenge by beating Valencia 2-1 in the earlier kick-off.

Barca triumphed thanks to two clinical finishes from Luis Suarez and a strike from Ivan Rakitic following a vintage slalom run by Lionel Messi.

Suarez pounced on a disastrous backpass from Jose Manuel Jurado to break the deadlock in the 50th minute and Rakitic sealed the win in the 76th by side-footing home Messi's cutback after the Argentine had torn through the home defence.

Suarez, who had failed to score in his previous five games in all competitions, took advantage of another calamitous error by the otherwise impressive Espanyol backline and rifled in Barca's third from close range in the 87th minute.

The pressure was on Barca after Real Madrid had beaten Valencia 2-1 earlier in the day to provisionally lead the standings, and the champions got an early fright when Jurado eased into their area but fired wide of the far post.

Espanyol's good organisation then went to waste when Jurado gifted the ball to Suarez, who knocked it past former Real Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez with an effortless flick of the outside of his right boot to send the champions on their way.

"I think we deserved the win because we gave a serious performance," said Barca coach Luis Enrique. "We knew that in the second half their high pressing would allow us to create more up front. We wore out the opposition."

Barca top the standings on 81 points due to their superior head-to-head record over Real, who also have 81 and have a game in hand.

Marcelo came to Real Madrid's rescue four minutes after his side had conceded a potentially crucial Valencia equaliser, from Dani Parejo, that could have seriously dented their hopes of landing a first title since 2012.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal in five league games to put Real ahead in the 27th minute but in the second half had a penalty saved by Diego Alves, who turned away a league-record sixth spot kick of the campaign.

Valencia had given Real a scare when Santi Mina hit the woodwork in the opening minute and the visitors pulled level in the 82nd minute with a thumping free kick from Parejo, the former Real academy player, who had fouled Luka Modric for the penalty.

Marcelo promptly grabbed the winner, cutting inside from the left-hand side of the area and curling the ball under Alves with his right foot, as Real's title bid benefited from yet another crucial late goal.

"I can't explain how we keep on scoring late goals. All I know is it's exciting, it's beautiful," coach Zinedine Zidane told reporters.

Atletico Madrid warmed up for their Champions League semi-final first leg against Real by hammering Las Palmas 5-0 away with two goals from Kevin Gameiro and strikes from Saul Niguez, Thomas Partey and Fernando Torres.

It was not all plain sailing for Diego Simeone's side, however, as they lost Jose Gimenez to injury, adding to the absences of fellow defenders Juanfran and Sime Vrsaljko for Tuesday's short trip to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Granada's run of six consecutive seasons in La Liga ended following a 2-1 defeat at Real Sociedad, leaving Tony Adams's side 10 points adrift of safety with three games left. They join basement club Osasuna in the Segunda Division next season.

Levante sealed their return to the top flight 11 months after being relegated by beating Real Oviedo 1-0 at home.

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar, Clare Fallon and Neville Dalton)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Suarez sent-off as Barca oust Atletico to reach final

BARCELONA, Spain -- Luis Suarez booked Barcelona's place in a fourth consecutive Copa del Rey final but was sent off as a bad-tempered 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday secured a 3-2 aggregate win.

Suarez's second goal of the tie looked to have put the semi-final beyond the visitors just before half-time.

However, the Uruguayan was one of three players sent-off in a pulsating second-half and will miss May's final against Alaves or Celta Vigo.

Kevin Gameiro set up a grandstand finish seven minutes from time moments after blazing a penalty over the bar.

But Barca saw out five minutes of stoppage time with nine men after Suarez's first red card for the club.

"It makes me laugh because it was like he (the referee) wanted to do it," an angry Suarez told Gol Television.

"We need to see if we can appeal the second yellow because it isn't even a foul, but we already know how these things go."

Atletico needed a first win at the Camp Nou since 2006 to have any chance of overturning a 2-1 first leg deficit inflicted by stunning goals from Suarez and Lionel Messi.

Yet, a fine performance in which they pushed Barcelona all the way gave Atletico boss Diego Simeone hope they can recapture during the rest of the campaign the form that took them to the Champions League final last season.

"We are out of the competition but have our heads held high and the strength that we have three fantastic months (ahead)," said Simeone.

"Hopefully we can maintain what we showed against them in the second-half the other day and during the 90 minutes today."

- Messi-Suarez magic -

Atletico nearly secured the perfect start with a lightning counter-attack from a Barca corner that ended with Yannick Carrasco stinging the palms of Jasper Cillessen.

However, the visitor's intense early pressing eased as the half wore on and Barca went in front just before half-time thanks to more magic from Messi and Suarez.

Messi sucked in the Atletico defence and when his effort from the edge of the area was parried by Miguel Angel Moya, Suarez gobbled up the rebound for his 23rd goal of the season.

Atletico were dealt an injury blow at the start of the second period as Diego Godin had to be replaced by Lucas Hernandez just five days after the French defender was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.

However, Simeone's men were given a glimmer of hope just before the hour mark when Sergi Roberto dived in on Filipe Luis and was deservedly shown a second yellow card.

That hope should have been bolstered moments later when Antoine Griezmann smashed the ball inside Cillessen's far post, but was wrongly flagged offside.

Barca's nerves were eased when Atletico were also reduced to 10 men 21 minutes from time when a slip from Carrasco saw him wipe out Arda Turan, the Belgian also being shown a second yellow card.

Messi's incredible run of scoring free-kicks in 2017 nearly continued with a driven effort from fully 35 yards that came crashing back off the bar.

Atletico were given a lifeline when Gerard Pique was adjudged to have tripped Gameiro inside the area with 10 minutes remaining.

Griezmann had missed his fifth penalty in seven attempts at the weekend and handed over responsiblity to his compatriot, but Gameiro blazed over.

Just three minutes later, though, the two combined to great effect as Griezmann's decision to cross rather than shoot caught the Barca defence off guard and Gameiro rolled into an empty net.

Atletico then pilled on the pressure in search of a winning goal on the night to send the game into extra time.

Suarez was the third player to be shown a second yellow for a stray elbow on Koke.

But a great block from Samuel Umtiti to divert Luis's goalbound drive preserved Barca's incredible record of not having lost a tie to anyone other than Real Madrid in the Cup sine 2010.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Suarez, Messi hand Barca Cup lead over Atletico

MADRID, Spain -- Wonder goals from Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi left Barcelona with a 2-1 Copa del Rey semi-final, first leg advantage over Atletico Madrid to take back to the Camp Nou next week.

Suarez's solo effort and a thunderous strike from Messi gave Barca a deserved commanding lead at half-time.

Yet, Atletico roared back after the break as Antoine Griezmann halved the arrears and the hosts went close to an equaliser as they piled on the pressure in the final stages.

However, Diego Simeone's men were left to rue their slow start with Barca now favorites to make a fourth straight Cup final ahead of the second leg on February 7.

"It is normal that playing here at their home they would push us and they were much better in the second-half than the first," said Suarez.

"The didn't have anything to lose. They risked a lot more and made us suffer a little."

The honors have been split two apiece in the four previous two-legged ties between these sides in the past three seasons.

Yet there was a gulf in class as Barca took control in the first 45 minutes.

It took just seven minutes for Suarez to open the scoring with his seventh goal in nine appearances against Atletico.

The Uruguayan ran half the length of the field, leaving Diego Godin and Stefan Savic in his wake, before slotting the ball home with the outside of his foot into the far corner.

Suarez should have had a second when he was played in by Neymar, but, inside of going for goal, the former Liverpool striker tried to return the ball to the Brazilian who couldn't control.

Messi was the source of most of Barca's best moves and sealed a scintillating first-half performance with a stunning finish for the second 12 minutes before half-time when he blasted home off the inside of the post from outside the box.

Atletico had offered precious little other than one effort from Koke that dipped onto the roof of the net before the break.

However, the hosts were a team transformed after the break with Fernando Torres introduced alongside Griezmann up front.

"We spoke at half-time and I think in the second-half we got close to the team we have always been," said Atletico boss Simeone.

"I am left with that positive feeling. We were close to a draw, we fronted up against all the difficulties we faced in the first-half."

Atletico were back in the tie just before the hour mark when a free-kick to the back post found Godin and his header across goal was turned home by Griezmann.

The French international had a glorious chance to then level moments later when he was picked out perfectly by Filipe Luis's low cross.

However, Griezmann's effort was straight at Jasper Cillessen, who saved from point blank range.

Barca could have put the tie to bed with a third away goal as a Messi free-kick was brilliantly turned onto the bar by Miguel Angel Moya.

Neymar then had a glorious chance as Messi again split the Atletico defence, but his careless finish flew miles over the bar with just Moya to beat.

Barca could and arguably should have been punished in the latter stages as Torres flicked another fine Luis cross inches wide.

Torres also fired wide with a much better opening from the edge of the area before Griezmann rifled a thirty-yard strike inches past Cillessen's far post.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Barcelona, Sevilla maintain pressure on Madrid

MADRID, Spain -- Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were all on target as Barcelona shrugged off the loss of the injured Sergio Busquets to remain just two points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid with a 4-0 win at Eibar on Sunday.

Sevilla separate the giants of Spanish football in second, just a point behind Madrid, after twice coming from behind to edge a seven-goal thriller 4-3 at rock-bottom Osasuna.

However, Real Madrid also have a game in hand over their title rivals.

Barca's visit to the Basque Country was only eight minutes in when Busquets had to be carried off with ankle ligament damage after a dangerous challenge from Gonzalo Escalante that went unpunished.

"The good news about Sergio Busquets is that it doesn't look as serious as we first thought," Barca boss Luis Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar.

The visitors were briefly unsettled as a fine save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen prevented Adrian Gonzalez giving Eibar a shock lead at the tiny 6,200 capacity Ipurua.

Yet, there was little doubt over the outcome once Denis Suarez, who had replaced Busquets, drilled home his first Barca goal into the far corner from outside the box on the half hour mark.

Neymar missed a one-on-one and Luis Suarez hit the post as Barca squandered a series of chances to kill off the game before half-time.

However, Messi doubled their lead just six minutes into the second-half when he swept home Luis Suarez's cross for his 28th goal in 26 games this season.

And Luis Suarez matched his strike partner as La Liga's top scorer this season with 15 when he robbed Florian Lejeune before slotting home at the near post 22 minutes from time.

Neymar hadn't scored from open play since October, but brought that run to an end by slotting home Aleix Vidal's low cross in stoppage time.

"A positive run of results means everything flows better, the players have more confidence," added Enrique after a fourth straight win.

"But we are still far off where we want to be."

- Record-breaking Sevilla -

Sevilla scored twice in the final five minutes to end Real Madrid's 40-game unbeaten run in all competitions last weekend and have now won five of the seven La Liga games when they have conceded first this season.

"The team did some good things and made mistakes, but from start to finish looked to win the game," said Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli.

"To finish the first half of the season with a record number of points (42) and be second fills us with excitement for what is to come."

Sergio Leon gave Osasuna a shock early lead before an unusual hat-trick from Sevilla captain Vicente Iborra levelled at 2-2 as he twice equalised either side of an own goal to restore Osasuna's lead.

Osasuna were infuriated Franco Vazquez's vital third goal for Sevilla was allowed to stand despite a push on Oriol Riera 10 minutes from time.

Pablo Sarabia's fine left-footed shot from outside the area sealed the points, but there was still time for Osasuna to pull another goal back when Kenan Kodro headed in from close range.

Atletico Madrid lost further ground on the top three as they needed a spectacular Antoine Griezmann equaliser 10 minutes from time to secure a 2-2 draw at Athletic Bilbao.

Diego Simeone's men are now eight points back on Real Madrid.

The visitors got off to the perfect start when Koke's cross towards Griezmann evaded everyone and flew into the far corner after just three minutes.

However, Atletico were punished for trying to sit on their lead when Inigo Lekue smashed home an equaliser three minutes before half-time.

Athletic then went in front as former Atletico favourite Raul Garcia crossed for Oscar de Marcos to head home.

Griezmann had already had one spectacular finish ruled out by the offside flag, but the French international continued his fine form with a rasping low drive from 25 yards to at least salvage a point for Atletico.

Real Sociedad move level on points with Atletico in fourth as Juanmi's towering header 18 minutes from time handed them a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Barca cut deficit to Real thanks to magical Messi

BARCELONA - Lionel Messi produced a vintage second-half performance to help Barcelona to a 4-1 win over local rivals Espanyol on Sunday which saw the champions cut the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to three points.

Luis Suarez celebrated signing a new contract with Barca on Friday by firing the home side ahead in the 18th minute with the help of a brilliant pass from Andres Iniesta and the Uruguayan struck again in the 67th after a mazy run from Messi.

The Argentine maestro cut the Espanyol defence to ribbons again to allow Jordi Alba to score the third in the 68th before capping the victory with a goal of his own in the 89th, after David Lopez had pulled one back for the visiting side.

"When everyone is playing well it's important for individual talents, like those Messi has, to flourish. He's a sensational player," said Iniesta.

"It was an intense derby, we played well and we are very happy to have won the last league game of the year. We feel very good at the moment and we finish the year in the league feeling very happy with the way we are playing."

Barca are second on 34 points, three behind Real Madrid who have a game in hand due to their participation in the Club World Cup which they lifted after a 4-2 extra-time win over Kashima Antlers earlier on Sunday, while Sevilla are third on 33.

Espanyol have not beaten Barcelona since 2009 although they went into the game on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run in the league, conceding only once in their last six.

Their positive form counted for little, though, against a Barca side who have rediscovered their form after a slump in November.


FAST BREAK

The hosts made their intentions clear when Suarez burst through the middle and worked the ball to Neymar, only for Messi to send the final pass whistling past the near post.

The opener came from a lightning-quick break which began with a sliding tackle from Javier Mascherano on compatriot Pablo Piatti and Iniesta produced a sumptuous diagonal long ball for Suarez to knock into the far corner with one touch.

In the second half, Messi seized a loose ball and skipped past five defenders before his shot was spilled by substitute keeper Roberto and Suarez gobbled up the rebound to score again.

Messi produced another breathtaking run into the box a minute later, worming his way through four defenders and laying the ball off for Alba to ram past Roberto.

Lopez briefly silenced a jubilant Nou Camp with a well worked goal on the counter but Messi got the festivities started again with a fully deserved goal of his own, latching on to a chipped Suarez pass to put the ball through the keeper's legs.

"It's always good to finish the season on the right foot and I think we've hit the right notes and are on the right track," said Barca coach Luis Enrique.

"2017 is set to be a good year for us and we have the challenge of trying to retain the league title. I like what I've been seeing recently and this team is built for challenges like this."

Deportivo La Coruna piled more misery on bottom side Osasuna by beating the visiting Navarrans 2-0 thanks to first-half goals from Florin Andone and Ryan Babel.

Lowly Leganes drew 1-1 at home to seventh-placed Eibar despite having keeper Iago Herrerin sent off in the 26th. Miguel Angel Guerrero had put the hosts ahead three minutes earlier but former Manchester United winger Bebe levelled in the 76th.

(Editing by Clare Fallon and Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LA LIGA: Ramos rescues Real to maintain six-point lead

BARCELONA, Spain -- Sergio Ramos's stoppage-time equalizer maintained Real Madrid's six-point lead at the top of La Liga as the European champions salvaged a 1-1 draw at Barcelona in Saturday's El Clasico.

Luis Suarez looked to have breathed new life into the title race when he headed home the opener from Neymar's free-kick eight minutes into the second half.

Neymar and Lionel Messi then passed up huge chances to add to Barca's advantage, and the hosts were made to pay when Real captain Ramos met Luka Modric's free-kick with a powerful header to stretch Madrid's unbeaten run in all competitions to 33 games.

"I have to once again highlight the heart of this team, they believed until the end and got the draw which is important," said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

Barca coach Luis Enrique lamented his side's luck, but also blamed a lack of efficiency in front of goal as, for a fourth time in seven home league games, the Catalans dropped points.

"The performance of the team was better than the opponent in my opinion. Football has been unfair to us," said Enrique.

"It is a huge blow for all of us but we have only played 14 games in the league and there is a long way to go.

"We have to improve our performance and get better results, especially at home, because we are miles off where we want to be."

Before kick-off both sides came together to pay homage to the 71 victims that wiped out almost the entirety of Brazilian side Chapecoense's squad in a plane crash in Colombia earlier in the week.

However, once the action got underway old hostilities were renewed as Madrid screamed for a penalty less than two minutes in.

Lucas Vazquez went down under Javier Mascherano's challenge, but referee Carlos Clos Gomez waved play on.

Barcelona enjoyed the majority of possession, but with captain Andres Iniesta left on the bench on his return from a two-month injury layoff, lacked the creativity to break down Madrid before the break.

At the other end the spotlight was on Cristiano Ronaldo more than ever in the absence of the injured Gareth Bale and following allegations of grand scale tax avoidance published by a series of European media organisations on Saturday.

The Portuguese came to life towards the end of the first-half as he had Madrid's first shot on target that was turned behind by Marc-Andre ter Stegen eight minutes before half-time and the German stood firm to deny another driven Ronaldo effort moments later.

- Suarez strikes -

However, Barca started the second-half on the front foot and got the goal they badly needed to kickstart their title defence when Neymar's free-kick from the left found Suarez somehow unmarked to head home from point blank range.

Iniesta was then introduced to a hero's welcome and teed up Neymar for a huge chance to seal the three points 21 minutes from time.

The Brazilian skipped past Dani Carvajal, but blasted over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Iniesta then produced a sublime pass to lay the chance Messi had been waiting for all afternoon on a plate, but the Argentine pulled his effort wide of the far post with just Navas to beat.

And Barca were made to pay for their profligacy as Ramos rose unmarked to power home Modric's free-kick as the game entered stoppage time to silence the Camp Nou.

Barca still had one final chance to snatch all three points, but Sergi Roberto's looping header was cleared off the line as a first La Liga title in five seasons edged closer for Real.

A fine night for Real was rounded off as Atletico Madrid remain nine points back in fourth after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by Espanyol.

Indeed, the Champions League finalists were thankful to goalkeeper Jan Oblak for even a point as he made brilliant saves from Gerard Moreno and Leo Baptistao.

Third-placed Sevilla also slipped to defeat as Granada moved off the bottom with their first win of the season 2-1 at Nuevo Los Carmenes.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LA LIGA: Messi penalty snatches thrilling Barca win

MADRID, Spain -- Lionel Messi shrugged off his recent woes from the penalty spot with a decisive 94th-minute spot-kick to move Barcelona top of La Liga with a pulsating 3-2 win at Valencia on Saturday.

However, the dramatic victory came at a cost for Barca as a tearful Andres Iniesta suffered ligament damage in his right knee that could keep him out for several months.

Messi netted twice and his opener midway through the first half was allowed to stand despite Luis Suarez straying into an offside position.

Valencia hit back with two goals in six second-half minutes through on-loan Barca winger Munir El Haddadi and Rodrigo.

However, Suarez levelled and was then upended inside the area by Aymen Abdennour to allow Messi to hold his nerve and slot past penalty-stopping specialist Diego Alves for all three points.

Victory moves the champions a point clear of Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, who face Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao respectively on Sunday.

He may be one of the finest footballers ever but Messi has struggled from the spot in recent seasons, most notably blazing over as Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile in June.

"Our best penalty-taker is Leo Messi without any doubt," Barca boss Luis Enrique said.

Valencia stopper Alves had saved three penalties this season and from Messi in the past, but was beaten low to his right.

"Messi took responsibility in the best moment and it is a glorious feeling for us," added Enrique.

A bad-tempered encounter spilled over after Messi's strike, though, as Suarez and Neymar were hit by a plastic bottle thrown by the Valencia fans as Barca celebrated.

"We celebrated as it is normal to celebrate a last-minute winner," said Enrique.

- 'Absolutely lamentable' -

The game was only 14 minutes old when Iniesta was carried from the field in tears holding his right knee, which buckled under a heavy challenge from Enzo Perez.

Enrique was furious with referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco as Perez avoided even a yellow card, whilst a series of other fouls on Barca players went unpunished.

Barca confirmed Iniesta suffered lateral collateral ligament damage, but said further tests would be carried out to determine the exact extent of the injury.

However, it was Valencia who were up in arms at the officials when Messi opened the scoring on 22 minutes.

The Argentine's fifth goal in three games since returning from a groin injury sneaked in at Alves's near post, but the Brazilian goalkeeper had been distracted by the presence of the offside Suarez jumping over Messi's effort.

"It is lamentable, absolutely lamentable that refereeing decisions prevented Valencia from taking a point or more from this match," Valencia sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch told BeIN Sports Spain.

Valencia turned the game around early in the second half as Dani Parejo's cut-back was drilled into the bottom corner by El Haddadi against his parent club.

The 21-year-old held his hands up apologetically after finding the net, but there were wild celebrations led by new Valencia boss Cesare Prandelli moments later when Rodrigo swept home Nani's through ball.

Valencia's lead lasted just six minutes despite Alves's best efforts as Suarez pounced to smash home a rebound after Ivan Rakitic's powerful header had been saved by the Valencia stopper.

Barca swarmed forward in search of a winner, but had to wait until deep into stoppage time when Messi played in Suarez and he was clearly taken out from behind by Abdennour.

Messi stroked home his 14th goal of the season to secure a vital three points in the title race.

Earlier, Espanyol battled back from 3-0 down at half-time to salvage a point and possibly coach Quique Sanchez Flores's job in a 3-3 draw at home to Eibar.

Granada and Sporting Gijon remain in the relegation zone after a 0-0, whilst Real Sociedad moved into the top half with a comfortable 3-0 win over Alaves.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LA LIGA: Barca win easily at Leganes, Atletico thrash Sporting

BARCELONA - Barcelona's attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were all on target as the champions roared back into life in La Liga by thrashing promoted Leganes 5-1 away on Saturday, while Atletico Madrid thumped visitors Sporting Gijon 5-0.

Atletico strikers Antoine Griezmann, Fernando Torres and Kevin Gameiro all found the net as Diego Simeone's side warmed up for next Wednesday's visit to the Nou Camp.

Elsewhere, Las Palmas maintained their excellent start to the campaign by beating Malaga 1-0, and Sevilla's 15-month wait for an away victory continued after they were held to a 1-1 draw at nine-man Eibar.

Messi sidefooted in a simple cross from Suarez to strike the opening goal for Barca after 15 minutes and returned the favour for the Uruguayan to nudge in the second in the 31st.

Neymar stretched Barca's lead to three goals on the stroke of half-time, tapping in another lay off from Suarez, before Messi got his second from the penalty spot 10 minutes into the second half.

Rafinha rounded off the most comfortable of Barca victories with a curled finish in the 64th minute, although Gabriel Appelt salvaged a goal for the Madrid minnows in the 80th with a free-kick whipped into the top corner.

Barcelona, beaten 2-1 by newcomers Alaves last weekend in their first loss at the Nou Camp since April 17, now have nine points from their first four La Liga games.

They join Real, who can go clear again when they play at Espanyol on Sunday, and Las Palmas at the league's summit, while Atletico are one point behind.

"This is an important victory against a team that we knew would cause us problems in bringing the ball out. We exploited the space well and we were very active from the start," said Luis Enrique.

After squad rotations backfired against Alaves, Luis Enrique picked a similar team to the one that battered Celtic 7-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday in Barca's biggest ever win in European soccer's top competition.

Atletico kickstarted their league campaign last week with a 4-0 win at Celta Vigo and raced out of the traps against Sporting, Gameiro feeding Griezmann to tap in the opener in the second minute before curling in another in the fifth.

Griezmann then cut inside to lash in the third goal in the 31st before being replaced by Torres, and the homegrown Atletico hero further delighted the Vicente Calderon by rounding off the victory with two late strikes, including an injury-time penalty.

"We knew we were doing the right things to score goals," Torres told BeIN Sports after a rewarding afternoon for Atletico's strikeforce.

"It's good that all the forwards contributed with the goals and that I could do that from the bench. It's never a good time to visit Barcelona but now we can go there feeling confident."

Las Palmas surrendered their 100 percent record last week by losing 2-1 at Sevilla with two late strikes but got back to winning ways with a narrow win over Malaga, courtesy of midfielder Momo's penalty in the ninth minute.

At Eibar, Luciano Vietto scored his third goal in four games to put Sevilla ahead in the 27th minute and the Europa League holders looked on course for a first away win since May 23 2015 when the hosts' goalkeeper Yoel was sent off in the 45th minute.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Pedro Leon, however, leveled midway through the second half from close range to extend Sevilla's search for that elusive away win, while Eibar midfielder Dani Garcia was also given a straight red card late on.

(Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Alan Baldwin)

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Suarez treble and Messi double lift six-goal Barca

BARCELONA - Luis Suarez grabbed a hat-trick and Lionel Messi bagged two goals as Barcelona began their quest for a third straight La Liga title with a 6-2 rout of Real Betis on Saturday.

Arda Turan, whose two goals against Sevilla helped Barca lift the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday, gave them an early lead at the Nou Camp before Ruben Castro equalised in the 21st minute.

Barca went back in front thanks to a trademark 37th-minute goal from Messi before Suarez La Liga's top scorer last season, made it 3-1 before halftime.

Messi set up Suarez for the Uruguayan's second in the 56th minute before the Argentine netted again a minute later with a left-foot drive from outside the area.

Suarez then completed his treble with a 25-metre free kick in the 82nd minute.

Betis scored again six minutes from time after Castro struck a right-foot shot beyond goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

Barca were without several injured players including captain Andres Iniesta and forward Neymar, who is playing for Brazil at the Rio Olympics.

Chile captain Bravo, linked with a move to Manchester City by media reports, started in goal with Marc-Andre ter Stegen out injured.

Barca coach Luis Enrique handed new signings Samuel Umtiti and Lucas Digne their league debuts.

The hosts went in front when Messi's diagonal pass found Jordi Alba and he cut a pass back to Turan who beat Betis keeper Antonio Adan from six metres.

Betis equalised when Bravo got a touch to Castro's powerful free kick but could not prevent the ball going in.

Messi then hit the bar before making amends minutes later when he pounced on Denis Suarez's pass before shooting with venom into the bottom corner of the net.

He carved the Betis defence wide open in the 42nd minute with a pass to Sergio Roberto and he set up Luis Suarez who finished clinically.

Betis, under new coach Gus Poyet, struggled to keep up with Barca in the second half.

Messi and Suarez combined before the Uruguayan beat Adan with an easy tap-in.

The dynamic Messi then found the corner of the net again before Suarez added Barca's sixth goal.

Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid get their campaign underway on Sunday when they visit Real Sociedad.

(Reporting by Adriana Garcia; Editing by Tony Jimenez)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Hat-trick hero Suarez leads Barca to title glory

BARCELONA- A ravenous Luis Suarez bagged a third hat-trick in five games as defending champions Barcelona won 3-0 at Granada to clinch their 24th La Liga title on Saturday.

The Uruguayan converted Jordi Alba's low pass in the 22nd minute to give Barca the lead. He then headed in Dani Alves' cross in the 38th before tapping Neymar's pass into an empty net in the 86th.

"We were on top of the table for many weeks and the most consistent team wins the title," coach Luis Enrique told a news conference.

"We will celebrate this, we enjoy our team and the style in which they play. We must value each title win because it is worth a lot."

Suarez finished the season as La Liga's top scorer with 40 goals, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's grip on the honour since 2009.

Barca ended with 91 points, one ahead of Real Madrid who won 2-0 at Deportivo La Coruna.

Ronaldo scored twice for Real to reach 50 goals in all competitions for the sixth consecutive season.

He was substituted at halftime after hurting his foot but there is no suggestion he could miss the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid in two weeks' time.

Goals from Fernando Torres and Antoine Griezmann gave Atletico Madrid a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo while Athletic Bilbao beat Sevilla 3-1.

Atletico finished third on 88 points and Bilbao secured a place in the Europa League by ending up in fifth spot.

With attention on Wednesday's Europa League final against Liverpool, Sevilla coach Unai Emery put out a heavily-rotated team.

Gerard Pique came close to giving Barca an early lead against Granada when his header was tipped away by goalkeeper Andres Fernandez who also saved well from Messi.

Fernandez was powerless to stop Suarez's opener, however, the Uruguayan tapping the ball home at the far post.

The second goal was delightful. Javier Mascherano launched a long diagonal pass towards the byline and Alves raced to meet it before hooking a cross for Suarez to nod in from close range.

Suarez nearly laid on a third for Neymar but the Brazilian was denied by Fernandez.

Neymar then generously played in Suarez to complete his hat-trick before the end.

HARD WORK

"This title tastes great after so much hard work throughout the year and suffering right until the end," said Barca captain Andres Iniesta.

"The league is the tournament that tests your consistency throughout the year and it's the one we want to win every year."

Real got off to an ideal start at Deportivo when Gareth Bale manoeuvred his way past a defender on the left and cut the ball back to Karim Benzema who squared it for Ronaldo to score in the seventh minute.

The Portugal striker's second in the 25th minute had an element of good fortune, his header from a corner bouncing off Deportivo's Pedro Mosquera on its way into the net.

Ronaldo also hit the post and the crossbar before being replaced by James Rodriguez although there was no suggestion he had an injury two weeks before the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid.

Real ended a campaign that has witnessed upheaval and managerial change by picking up a 12th consecutive league win but their revival came too late to catch Barca.

"We're a little disappointed after the effort we made," said coach Zinedine Zidane. "After 38 league games we can't change the fact Barcelona are champions.

"They deserved to win the league but I take my hat off to my lads."

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com