Paco Alcacer enjoyed a rare outing for Barcelona by scoring twice in the club's 2-1 La Liga win over Sevilla at the Nou Camp on Saturday.
With second-placed Valencia having strolled to a 3-0 win over Leganes and third-placed Atletico Madrid downing Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 earlier in the day, Barcelona were determined to preserve their four-point lead at the top of the standings.
Although all eyes were on Lionel Messi playing in his 600th game for Barca, it Alcacer who was on target for his side in the pouring rain in the Catalan capital.
Making just his fourth La Liga appearance of the season, the striker netted a goal in each half to ensure leaders Barca stayed unbeaten after 11 games. They lead the standings with 31 points.
“We need to just take advantage of the chances that the boss gives us. I’m very happy to have scored twice, but the most important thing is the result,” Alcacer told BeIN Sport. “We’re going well. The side feels good, we need to carry on as we are doing.”
Luis Suarez twice went close in the opening five minutes, while Ivan Rakitic whistled a volley wide as Barcelona started strongly. They were rewarded as Alcacer pounced on a Sergio Escudero error to run through and slot under the onrushing David Soria after 20 minutes.
Sevilla enjoyed possession but rarely threatened the Barcelona goal before Guido Pizarro drew the visitors level in the 59th minute by nodding home from a corner.
However, the joy was short-lived as Alcacer scored again five minutes later by poking home a Rakitic cross.
Goals from Dani Parejo, Rodrigo and a penalty from Santi Mina earlier helped Valencia cruise to victory at home to Leganes, while Thomas Partey scored a 92nd minute free kick as Atletico Madrid beat Deportivo La Coruna 1-0.
It was a largely unimpressive display from Diego Simeone’s side, who looked set to draw for the seventh time in their last 10 games in all competitions before Partey found the top corner to break Depor hearts.
Third-placed Atletico trail Barca by eight points. Real Madrid, who host Las Palmas on Sunday, are fourth while Sevilla stay fifth on 19 points.
(Reporting by Joseph Cassinelli, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
BARCELONA - Real Madrid thrashed Deportivo La Coruna 6-2 to stay level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga on Wednesday after the Catalans crushed Osasuna 7-1, condemning the minnows to relegation.
Lionel Messi, Andre Gomes and Paco Alcacer scored twice each and Javier Mascherano netted his first goal for the club from the penalty spot as Barcelona built on Sunday's Clasico victory.
Real, though, showed they would not be easily toppled.
Zinedine Zidane made nine changes for the trip to the Riazor but Madrid’s reserves still made light work of Depor, with Isco running the show and finding the net along with James Rodriguez, who hit a brace, Alvaro Morata, Lucas Vazquez and substitute Casemiro.
Madrid have 78 points from 33 games, while Barcelona have the same tally from one game more.
Osasuna, rooted in 20th place, were relegated after 17th-placed Leganes beat Las Palmas 3-0 to move 12 points clear of the bottom club, an insurmountable total with four games to go because of their inferior head-to-head record.
“We had to win. We have suffered a lot since January. We’ve lacked both points and luck, and when that’s the case it’s hard to turn things around,” said Osasuna coach Petar Vasiljevic.
Messi opened the scoring with a mazy dribble capped with a neat chip over goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu before Gomes volleyed home Ivan Rakitic’s cross to double the lead.
Roberto Torres whipped in a free kick just after halftime to drag his team back into the match before Barcelona ran riot with a flurry of goals.
“I think it was a complete performance," said Barcelona coach Luis Enrique. "When they got back to 2-1, which was the worst moment because they’re back in the game and you never know, we were able to put our foot on the accelerator and close the game out.
“The way we played, we deserved to win by a large margin.”
Madrid deserved much the same against Depor after dominating from the start.
It took Alvaro Morata just 52 seconds to find the net after being played in by Isco with James Rodriguez slamming home the second from a Lucas Vazquez cross.
Florin Andone scored from close range, stabbing home Gael Kakuta’s cross-shot in the 35th minute, to give his side a glimmer of hope but nine minutes later Vazquez scored Madrid's third.
Rodriguez and Isco struck before Joselu’s header gave Depor fans some late cheer but Casemiro had the last word and restored Madrid's four-goal lead in the 87th minute.
"Isco was phenomenal," said Zidane. "He does things on the pitch that not everybody can. The fans congratulated him, I am happy for him, for the work he does. When he has to play he always does his job."
(Editing by Toby Davis, Neville Dalton, Nick Mulvenney)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
