BARCELONA (AFP) - Lionel Messi scored for a ninth consecutive match, but his latest double on Saturday (Feb 2) was only enough to earn Barcelona a 2-2 draw against Valencia.
Kevin Gameiro and Dani Parejo's penalty gave Valencia a surprise two-goal lead but Messi pulled one back with his own spot-kick before curling in a brilliant equaliser with 26 minutes left.
After their stunning comeback against Sevilla in midweek, Barca looked destined to again finish the job, but Valencia held on for a point after a breathless contest at the Camp Nou.
Messi's 20th and 21st league goals of the season left Barca six points clear of Atletico Madrid, who could cut the gap to three by beating Real Betis on Sunday, with Real Madrid, 11 points back, at home to Alaves.
After eight consecutive Barcelona wins in La Liga, this result perhaps offered the chasing pack a little encouragement at the start of a testing month for the Catalans.
Real could inflict further disruption themselves. They play Barca in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Wednesday, in what will be the first of three Clasicos in a month. The latter two will be back-to-back, within four days.
But with Messi in this sort of form, any confidence from Real comes with an asterisk.
His 12 goals in his last nine games is the same number the whole Valencia squad managed in their first 15 league matches. Valencia were 15th in December, with only three wins, and their coach Marcelino was under pressure, just six months after propelling them back into the Champions League.
The club kept faith and results have improved. They have now lost only one of their last seven matches and are within sight of the top four.
Valencia deserved their first-half lead and could have scored sooner, Parejo drawing a smart save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen before Denis Cheryshev lashed the rebound off the far post.
The visitors rode their luck as two decisions went their way in a matter of minutes. First, Barca could have had a penalty when Gabriel Paulista blocked Nelson Semedo's shot with his hand.
Then the home team should have had a free-kick as Messi was bundled over by Parejo. The latter proved key, with Valencia sprawling forward on the counter-attack.
Rodrigo carried the ball 40 yards before slipping a cute reverse pass behind Vermaelen. Gameiro banged in the finish.
Valencia's penalty was clear after Sergi shoved Daniel Wass in the back, with Parejo whipping the ball into the corner to make it two.
Barca looked shell-shocked but the third goal in 15 minutes was theirs. Semedo beat Toni Lato to Arturo Vidal's pass and tumbled after a clip on his shin. Messi slammed the loose ball into the top corner but the whistle had blown. He rolled in the penalty instead.
Sergi's shot crashed against the post and Barca were dominant after half-time. Messi and Carles Alena had shots saved, and Messi headed over.
At the other end, on a rare Valencia break, Rodrigo should have made it three but, on the stretch, put it over from six yards.
That was in the 63rd minute, and in the 64th, Barcelona were level. Vidal teed up Messi, who teed up his own left foot and curled the ball inside the post.
The teams, and the crowd, seemed to take a breath, in anticipation of a late push, but it never came. The draw was a fair result.
Google bucks soaring smartphone prices with new Pixel Macron camp seeks reset after EU campaign 'false start' Naples Mayor blames gangster show Gomorrah for outbreaks of youth violence in
News From June 2017 - Business Directory - The Internet Pages
Marcus Rashford Income, Houses,Cars, Luxurious Lifestyle and Net Worth 2019 Maybe you want to watch Cristiano Ronaldo - Transformation From 1 To 32 Years Old
Marcus Rashford Family, Parents, Wife, Son, Daughter
Gattuso has made many mistakes but let's not forget the squad he has.Milan failed to address their biggest problem which was the absence of a top left winger to take pressure of Suso.They even
Real Madrid's Gareth Bale came off the bench and coolly converted a controversial penalty to secure a 2-1 win at Levante in La Liga on Sunday as the European champions rode their luck to stay
Football: Fandi Ahmad coy on SEA Games rule of two overaged players as he focuses on improving U-22 side we need players who can understand the way we want to play, how we defend and attack
Singapore Football : No.1 Source for SG Football Compilation
Football: 'Angry' Thomas Muller questions Joachim Low decision after Germany axe MUNICH (REUTERS) - Germany coach Joachim Low's decision to end Thomas Muller's international career has left the Bayern Munich midfielder "angry" and struggling to come to terms with the manner in which he received the news.
'Angry' Mueller questions Loew decision after Germany axe
From the moment when, through the courtesy of my friend Barrett Wendell, I came first to know Mr. Henry Adams's book, Mont-Saint- Michel and Chartres, I was profoundly convinced that this privately printed, jealously guarded volume should be withdrawn from its hiding-place amongst the bibliographical treasures of collectors and amateurs and given that wide publicity demanded alike by its
NewspaperSG - The Straits Times, 7 December 1979
eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Issue/straitstimes19791207-1
7 December 1979, The Straits Times. Selected indices FINANCIAL TIMES INDUSTRIALS Wednesday 418.6" Tuesday 4313 Week A»o 418.9 DOW JONES AVERAGE INDUSTRIALS Wednesday 838.41 Tuesday 8J4.91 Week ago 830.46 H.K HANG SENG Thursday 778.73 Wednesday 772.12 Week ago 754.08 SYDNEY INDUSTRIALS Thursday 548.58 Wednesday 547.86 Week ago 537.37 ALL ORDINARIES Thursday 893.47 Wednesday 691.38
Lippi earns sympathy despite reign ending on gloomy note SHANGHAI • The search is now on for another big name to take on the poisoned chalice that is the Chinese national football coaching position, after a livid Marcello Lippi ended his reign following their humiliating exit at the Asian Cup.
Timon of Athens: This gloomy Greek earns little of our
MANCHESTER, England (REUTERS) - Manchester City linchpin Bernardo Silva faces a late fitness test before Sunday's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace, his manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday
Guardiola to make late decision on Silva for Palace trip
Gareth Bale is still "100 per cent" committed to Real Madrid despite speculation over his future, the Wales star's agent insisted on Monday. Former Tottenham winger Bale has been linked with
Gareth Bale: Wales star 100% committed to Real Madrid, says
Team Abu Dhabi duo aiming for more European glory on France's Saône river Team Abu Dhabi duo aiming for more European glory on France's Saône river. Updated 08 September 2016 .
Ole Gunnar Solskjær demands European glory - theguardian.com
Football: Milan draw another blank in Frosinone stalemate as pressure piles on Gattuso. We knew it would be difficult and we could easily have lost it," said Gattuso, whose side have not
Milan draw another blank in Frosinone stalemate
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen