SEVILLE, Spain (REUTERS) - Lionel Messi scored his 50th career hat-trick to fire Barcelona to a 4-2 win at Sevilla on Saturday (Feb 23) after the champions had twice fallen behind, giving the Catalans a 10-point lead at the top of La Liga.
Sevilla, who have only won once in the league in 2019, took the lead midway through the first half through veteran winger Jesus Navas but were soon pegged back by an unstoppable volley from Messi.
The home side capitalised on sleepy defending from Barca to re-take the lead before halftime as Gabriel Mercado pounced in the area.
Barca coach Ernesto Valverde made two attacking changes at the start of the second period by introducing Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto and got the intended reaction when the France winger laid the ball off to Messi just inside the area and the Argentine lashed it into the top corner.
Messi, who has struggled for form in recent weeks due to a niggling injury, looked on a mission to grab the winner and after twice coming close he completed his treble to put Barca ahead in the 85th minute, reacting quickly to a poor Sevilla clearance to dink the ball over goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.
Luis Suarez made sure of the points by scoring deep in stoppage time, chipping Vaclik after being played through by a pass from Messi.
Barca lead the standings on 57 points after 25 games while second-placed Atletico Madrid have 47 but can reduce the gap back to seven when they host Villarreal on Sunday.
Sevilla fell to fifth, slipping out of the Champions League places behind Getafe.
MESSI DELIVERS
"Messi is decisive and superlative, every team has decisive players but we have the best in the world," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.
"It's not just his goals either, but because he always delivers in the right place at the right time."
Sevilla had endured a humiliating 3-0 loss at struggling Villarreal last week but before the game Valverde warned of the Andalusians outstanding record at their Sanchez Pizjuan, where they had thrashed Real Madrid 3-0 and beaten Barca 2-0 in the Copa del Rey this season.
They took the lead through a lightning quick counter-attack as Wissam Ben Yedder marauded down the pitch and played in Navas, who took one touch to control and the other to slide the ball through the legs of the diving Gerard Pique and beyond the outstretched Marc-Andre ter Stegen into the bottom corner.
Sevilla's intensity prevented Barca from replicating their usual slick passing game and it took a superb goal from Messi to pull them level, the Argentine swivelling to meet a cross from Ivan Rakitic on the volley, leaving Vaclik with no chance.
Sevilla are Messi's favourite victims, and last year he came off the bench to score twice in two minutes and rescue a 2-0 draw from 2-0 down.
He went one better this time and has now scored 36 times in 37 games against the Andalusians.
"It's always tough to win here, we know what it is like to come to this stadium and how good Sevilla's players are, they made things very hard for us by taking the lead but we knew how to overcome all that," Messi added.
It was his 44th hat-trick for Barca, with 32 coming in La Liga, eight in the Champions League, three in the Copa del Rey and one in the Spanish Super Cup. He has also struck six trebles for Argentina.
Trailblazing France coach Corinne Diacre said women in football face a constant struggle for acceptance and are often regarded as "objects" Women in football face daily battle, says France
Women in football face daily battle, says France coach
en.rfi.fr/wire/20181218-women-football-face-daily-battle-says-france-coach
Women in football face daily battle, says France coach France coach Corinne Diacre is hoping to guide Les Bleues to the women's World Cup title next year on home soil AFP. Trailblazing France
'Women in football face daily battle' | The Express Tribune
Mar 22, 2019 · England got their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign off to the ideal start, with Raheem Sterling hitting a hat-trick in the 5-0 thrashing of the Czech Republic at Wembley
England vs Czech Republic: Raheem Sterling scores hat-trick
Italian legend named new coach of China - Daily Nation
Son's late winner gives Tottenham edge over Man City Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday. With Spurs talisman Harry Kane having hobbled off injured and favourites City
Football: Home United claim Community Shield in 5-4 shoot-out win over Albirex Niigata. Feb 23, 2019, 8:28 pm. premium. Stags boosted by Hyundai sponsorship. Feb 23, 2019, 5:00 am.
2016 S.League - Wikipedia
Infantino says joint Korean Women's World Cup bid possible By ROB HARRIS March 3, 2019 FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds the official ball of the upcoming Women's Soccer World Championship as he poses for photographers during a press conference at the end of an executive committee meeting in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019.
Infantino says joint Korean Women's World Cup bid possible
NEWCASTLE, England (REUTERS) - Manchester City's hopes of retaining their Premier League title suffered a potentially grievous blow as struggling Newcastle United earned a remarkable 2-1 comeback
Man City title hopes hit by shock defeat at Newcastle - Reuters
Feb 23 (Reuters) - - Newcastle United's 2-0 win over 10-man Huddersfield Town on Saturday eased their Premier League safety fears and sent the Terriers hurtling ever faster towards relegation to the Championship. The top-flight's basement club looked lost again as soon as captain Tommy Smith was
Soccer-Newcastle plunge 10-man Huddersfield closer to the
SETTING THE TONE. It is my first game and although it is a friendly, it is important for us to play hard and get a good result. TATSUMA YOSHIDA, Singapore coach, wants a positive start to his new job.
How (and Why) to Play Hard to Get | Psychology Today
LONDON • Newport County manager Michael Flynn believes his side can conjure up the biggest shock in the history of the FA Cup when they host Premier League champions Manchester City in the fifth
Newport manager believes shock City victory possible
Barcelona put one hand on La Liga title after edging past Sociedad Barca lead the standings on 77 points after 33 games, comfortably clear of nearest challengers Atletico Madrid who won 1-0 at
Barca put one hand on title after edging past Sociedad
A fourth win of the season for Albirex, then, after seven games played, and two of those victories coming at Jurong East, a far cry from last year's barren run at the ground where not a single win was recorded. Geylang, meanwhile, are having a horror start to the new season.
Football: Fandi Ahmad's Under-22s aim to shine in Merlion Cup
usasportsradar.com/soccer/football-fandi-ahmads-under-22s-aim-to-shine-in-merlion-cup-despite-hari-raya-festivities/
Football: Fandi Ahmad's Under-22s aim to shine in Merlion Cup despite Hari Raya festivities June 6, 2019 SINGAPORE - Their chief striker Ikhsan Fandi is jet lagged, having arrived from Norway on Tuesday (June 4) and having spent the following day celebrating Hari Raya with his family.
Real Madrid's forward Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring during the Spanish La Liga match between Real Madrid and SD Huesca at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, on March 31, 2019.
Benzema saves Real Madrid blushes with late Huesca winner
0 comments:
Post a Comment