Skip to main content

Messi Hattrick Seals win for Barcelona

Lionel Messi netted a hat-trick as Barcelona beat Leganes 3-1 at the Nou Camp to make it a record-equalling 38 games unbeaten in La Liga.
Barcelona cruised to victory that saw them equal Real Sociedad's streak across 1978/79 and 1979/80, and move seven games away from the first unbeaten La Liga season in history.
Messi did the damage in the first half, curling home a sublime free-kick in the 27th minute - his sixth goal directly from a free-kick this season - before firing in a second five minutes later.
Barcelona took their foot off the gas in the second half and they were caught cold when Nabil El Zhar got Leganes back in the 68th minute, but Messi made sure of the win three minutes from time as he completed the hat-trick to take his tally to 39 goals in all competitions this season.

Player ratings

Barcelona: Ter Stegen (7), Sergi Roberto (6), Vermaelen (6), Pique (7), Semedo (7), Coutinho (5), Gomes (5), Rakitic (7), Dembele (6), Messi (9), L Suarez (6).

Subs: Alba (6), Iniesta (6), Denis Suarez (N/A).

Leganes: Cuellar (7); Zaldua (6), Bustinza (6), Siovas (6), Raul Garcia (5); Eraso (6), Ruben Perez (5), Gabriel (6), Omar (6); El Zhar (7); Amrabat (6).

Subs: Beauvue (6), Guerrero (6), Brasanac (6)

Man of the Match: Lionel Messi.
The result sees Barcelona continue their march to the title, with the gap at the top now 12 points ahead of Sunday's Madrid derby, live on Sky Sports.
Barcelona started the game on the front foot, and should have gone ahead in the 20th minute, but Luis Suarez was denied by a brilliant stop from Leganes goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar.
The Nou Camp did not have to wait much longer for that opener though as Messi stepped up to curl a free-kick into the net from 25 yards, leaving Cuellar with no chance.

Team news

Barcelona started with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho as a dynamic front four. As expected, Sergio Busquets missed out, after coach Ernesto Valverde insisted he wouldn't be risked. Four changes in total for Barca from the team that beat Roma in midweek, with Andre Gomes and Thomas Vermaelen also coming in. 
Five minutes later and it was two, with that man Messi picking up the ball from Philippe Coutinho, holding off his marker before firing home his 28th league goal of the season.
Leganes gave Barca a scare just after the interval with substitute Claudio Beauvue heading over from a good position, before Gerard Pique missed a glorious chance to make it three, ballooning a close-range effort over the top.
Suarez again missed a good opportunity to get on the scoresheet as he couldn't find the target from close range, and that miss proved costly as Leganes broke and got themselves back in it through El Zhar, whose strike from the edge of the box found the bottom corner, via a slight deflection.
Barca remained in control, though, and Messi made sure of the three points at the death, controlling the ball brilliantly on his chest before flicking the ball into the net.

Man of the match - Lionel Messi

What is left to say about Messi? His goals were all brilliant in their own way. Six goals directly from free-kicks is an incredible return in less than one season. His desire to keep scoring goal after goal sets him apart, as well as his incredible ability, of course.

What's next?

Valencia visit the Nou Camp next weekend, after the return leg of Barca's Champions League tie with Roma, while Leganes host Celta Vigo

Comments

Ad

Popular posts from this blog

Zidane: “We will not give Barcelona a guard of honour”

Real Madrid  coach  Zinedine Zidane  revealed that his team will not give  Barcelona  a traditional guard of honour if the two teams meet right after Barcelona become La Liga Champions. “We will not give a guard of honour, this is my decision,” said Zidane when asked about the matter. “Barcelona didn’t follow the tradition when we won the Club World Cup. This is my decision,” he added. Zidane is clearly stating that this is not something decided by the club in order to protect Real Madrid from potential criticism. Barcelona gave Real Madrid a guard of honour back in 2008 but they said that they would not do the same thing this past winter when Madrid conquered the Club World Cup. Nobody knows whether Los Blancos will finally face Barcelona under the circumstances which could make Madrid give said guard of honour, but it’s now clear that Zidane and his men will not hear anything about it.

Neuer back to training

Neuer back to training

Pep rests key players for United clash

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola rested Kevin de Bruyne among other stars for Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal rescue mission against Liverpool as City look to seal the Premier League title against local rivals Manchester United on Saturday. Guardiola made four changes from the side that lost 3-0 to Liverpool in the first leg of their last eight tie at Anfield on Wednesday with City just one win away from a fifth title and first of the Catalan’s big-spending time in charge. De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus drop to the bench along with full-backs Aymeric Laporte and Kyle Walker. City's all-time top-scorer Sergio Aguero also makes his return from injury, but only as a substitute. Danilo, Fabian Delph, Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling come into the side beaten by Liverpool. United trail their cross city rivals by 16 points, but remain the best of the rest behind City and can boost their chances of finishing second as well as spoiling City’s title party b...