Messi scores a brace as Barca beat Osasuna 3-0

Lionel Messi (right) scored twice to take his season’s total to 22 goals

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona reduced the gap to La Liga leaders Real Madrid with a dominant win against bottom side Osasuna.

Luis Suarez hit the post as the Catalan team dominated the first half but could not find a breakthrough.

Home forward Sergio Leon chipped against the Barca crossbar before Suarez broke Osasuna’s resistance by tapping in Jordi Alba’s low cross.

Left-back Alba also provided the second, cutting back from the left byeline for Messi to clip into the far corner.

And the Argentina forward sealed a routine victory with a fine individual goal, dancing into space inside the home penalty area before drilling in.

Real, who started the weekend with a six-point lead over Barca, host struggling Deportivo La Coruna later on Saturday (19:45 GMT).

Barcelona’s bid for a third successive La Liga title has faltered in recent weeks, with a trio of frustrating draws enabling rivals Real Madrid to take charge of the title race.

Unexpected stalemates against Malaga and Real Sociedad, followed by Real’s last-gasp equaliser in last weekend’s El Clasico, left Luis Enrique’s side needing a morale-boosting win against a side they had lost just once against in 10 previous meetings.

And, barring Leon’s cheeky effort early in the second half, it was predictably routine for the visitors.

Inspired by the return of skipper Andres Iniesta, Barca enjoyed over 80% possession and created plenty of clear-cut opportunities.

However, both Messi and Suarez were wasteful in front of goal as Osasuna gamely tried to hang on.

Ultimately the pressure told after the break as Messi’s brace – taking him above Suarez and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to the top of La Liga’s scoring chart – made sure Osasuna are still searching for their first home win of the season.

We will find out if Real Madrid, without Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema (both rested) and Gareth Bale (injured) can restore their six-point advantage when they face Deportivo.

Barcelona are back in action next weekend when they host neighbours Espanyol on Sunday (19:45).

-BBC

Comments

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...

Fire: UniJos Senate convenes emergency meeting on Monday

Fire at the University of Jos Library University of Jos is to convene an emergency senate meeting on Monday to review the level of damage done to the institution by the Saturday night inferno. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, disclosed this on Sunday after inspecting areas affected by the incident. The fire, which lasted for more than six hours, destroyed the Library Complex that equally houses the faculties of management and social sciences. The fire also destroyed examination scripts, books and very crucial materials. Consequently, the vice-chancellor said “the Senate will meet tomorrow (Monday) to take a decision about the unmarked examination scripts that were burnt.” On the cause of the inferno, Maimako said investigation had commenced, adding that “nothing has been confirmed yet. We are still investigating.” The vice chancellor said the school was already working with federal authorities toward establishing a main fire station since the mini fire station in t...

NDLEA arrests 252 suspects, seizes 3,073 kg Indian hemp

NDLEA operatives The NDLEA in Niger on Monday said that it had arrested 252 suspects and seized 3,073.9 kilogramme of Indian hemp(cannabis sativa) in the state. The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Joseph Iweajunwa, who disclosed this in Minna, said that the operations were carried out between January and September. “Our operations in Niger State from January to September 2016 led to the arrest of 252 suspects and seizure of 3,073.997 kilogramme of cannabis sativa,’’ he said. Iweajunwa said that within the period, the agency also seized 1, 530 litres of liquid drugs, especially cough syrup with codeine. He said the NDLEA also counselled and rehabilitated 90 drug addicts in the state within the period under review. The agency, he added, secured convictions of only nine of the suspects because the judge at the Federal High Court, Minna, went on leave. “ Now that the judge has resumed more suspects will be tried,’’ he said. He advised motorists, especially commercial vehicle dri...

Global Naija Info

Search This Blog