Messi nets 2 as Barca beats Celta 5-0 to reach Copa quarters

BARCELONA, Spain — Lionel Messi scored twice in the space of three minutes to help Barcelona to a 5-0 win over Celta Vigo on Thursday as the holders advanced to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.

Messi, who also created Barcelona’s third goal for Jordi Alba, set his team on its way to a 6-1 aggregate victory with his 21st and 22nd goals in all competitions this season.

Alba had provided the assists for Messi’s strikes in the 13th and 15th minutes, and the Barcelona star returned the favor by setting up the left back to score in the 28th.

Luis Suarez made it 4-0 before halftime, while Messi was replaced by Ousmane Dembele before the hour mark. Ivan Rakitic headed in a corner kick by Dembele in the final minutes to complete the rout.

New signing Philippe Coutinho watched from the Camp Nou stands following his club-record transfer from Liverpool earlier this week. The Brazil midfielder will make his debut after he recovers from a right leg muscle injury.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde took no chances after the 1-1 draw in the first leg, starting Messi in his first appearance in the competition this season after resting the Argentina forward for the first three cup games.

Messi quickly quashed any chance of Celta springing an upset.

Barcelona’s all-time scoring leader swept Alba’s cross past Sergio Alvarez despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to the ball, and he followed up by firing home after another exchange of passes with Alba.

Messi then turned provider, lobbing a perfect pass behind Celta’s back line to meet the run by Alba, who chipped Alvarez to score.

“The connection between Messi and Alba is nothing new, it has been working for years,” Valverde said. “They look for each other and are happy to do so, because it is not just Alba assisting Messi. Messi also creates goals for Alba.”

Suarez netted in the 31st after pouncing on a poor pass by Pione Sisto, before Rakitic nodded home at the end.

Barcelona extended its unbeaten run this season to 28 straight matches, dating back to its losses to Real Madrid in both legs of the Spanish Super Cup in August.

Celta had drawn 2-2 at Barcelona in La Liga last month and had gone into Thursday’s match after holding Madrid to a 2-2 draw in the league last weekend.

SEVILLA ADVANCES 

Sevilla beat Cadiz 2-1 with goals from Wissam Ben Yedder and Joaquin Correa to advance 4-1 on aggregate.

Making the last eight will take some of the pressure off new coach Vincenzo Montella following Sevilla’s painful 5-3 home loss to crosstown rival Real Betis in his Spanish league debut on Saturday.

Ben Yedder scored from a rebound after a shot by Correa to give Sevilla the lead in the 32nd. Correa then headed in from a corner taken by Pablo Sarabia in the 54th.

Alvaro Garcia got second-division Cadiz’s consolation goal in the 86th, leading to jeers from Sevilla’s home fans for the team’s shaky finish to the match.

“It was a complicated match. We are all suffering from the derby loss,” Correa said. “We are sad, but we will get through this together.”


ESPANYOL COMEBACK 

Goals by forwards Leo Baptistao and Gerard Moreno helped Espanyol to a 2-0 victory at Levante, sending the Barcelona-based team through 3-2 on aggregate.

Moreno set up Baptistao in the 14th minute, before scoring his goal in the 34th.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Messi staying with Barcelona to 2021 after new contract

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona enjoyed a big win on Saturday (Sunday Manila time) without even playing.

Lionel Messi finally put Barcelona and its fans at ease by signing a new contract that will keep the Argentine forward at the Spanish club through 2021 when he will be 34.

“The club … is my home,” Messi said. “My dream was to finish my career at Barca and we are moving down that path.”

The club did not reveal many financial details, including Messi’s salary. According to El Mundo newspaper, Messi will receive 30 million euros ($35.8 million) per season along with a signing bonus of 50 million euros ($59.6 million).

With his former contract set to run out next summer, Messi would have been free to listen to offers from other teams on Jan. 1. That approaching deadline generated speculation Messi could follow Neymar’s lead and leave.

Messi’s new deal includes a buyout clause of 700 million euros ($835 million). The massive figure is aimed at keeping away even the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, which secured Neymar in the offseason by triggering his buyout clause with a record 222 million euros ($262 million) payout.

Club president Josep Bartomeu said Barcelona and Messi already agreed to a new deal in June, but that following Neymar’s departure they revised it to more than double the buyout clause. It was originally set at 300 million euros ($358 million).

Bartomeu said the new contract “is more in line with the current situation in the ever-changing world of football.”

Barcelona announced in July that Messi agreed to a new deal that it would make official “in the coming weeks.” The wait that turned into months eventually caused many Barcelona supporters to fear the worst.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said having Messi signed up for four more years should help the team focus on its strong Spanish league and Champions League campaigns this season. Barcelona visits second-place Valencia on Sunday seeking a win that would give it a commanding lead as it tries to retake the Liga title from Real Madrid.

“I am not an expert in contract clauses, but if we look at what happened with Neymar, then you have the answer,” Valverde said. “The renewal of Leo is great news for the club. It calms everything down, especially all that surround the team. We already were calm because we see him train every day and we see his commitment to the club.”

Messi has been the heart and soul of Barcelona for more than a decade.

A five-time world player of the year, Messi has helped Barcelona win 30 titles since he arrived from Argentina at age 13. That haul includes four Champions Leagues and eight Spanish leagues.

Now in his 14th season, Messi is the club’s all-time leading scorer with 523 in 602 matches.

He received his fourth Golden Shoe award on Friday for leading all of Europe’s leagues in scoring last season.

“The objective is to continue achieving things, fill the club’s trophy cases, and keep making history at Barca,” Messi said. “We’ve been lucky enough to have won a great many things and I hope there will be more in the future.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Messi and Co ready to make magic vs Arsenal

LONDON — Barcelona’s strike trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar are ready to weave their magic when the Champions League holders take on Arsenal in the last 16 on Tuesday.

The three forwards share 81 goals from the Spanish league, Copa del Rey, and Champions League this season, and their team heads into the first leg at Emirates Stadium as the clear favorite.

Asked what is involved in coaching such remarkable players, Luis Enrique told a news conference on Monday: “I tell them ‘Abracadabra,’ and the magic sparks, that’s all I do.”

More seriously, he added: “It’s quite simple, in situations of the game, you don’t have to wish what you would like them to do – because they are already doing it. They press, up front, to get the ball from the opponent, and we work hard so that our midfielders can give them the ball. … It’s a pleasure to have these players with me.”

Luis Enrique expects a tight game, but one where Barcelona will look to impose its brand of attacking, possession football.

It’s certainly worked in the past, with the Catalan side beating Arsenal in both of their previous meetings in the knockout stages, along with the final in 2006.

“I’ve seen Arsenal before, and also this season, and they are going to press high at some moments,” he said. “But I hope we can keep possession of the ball in their half of the pitch and put into practice our football. Our target is to win the game, no matter what.”

The key figure in achieving that is likely to be Messi.

Already hugely influential, Luis Enrique believes he is getting even better.

“Last season, he was unbelievable,” the coach said. “He did pretty much everything; he scored, he made a defensive sacrifice, he assisted, and this season he is at the same level or even better. When Lionel Messi goes back to midfield, he becomes the best midfielder, when he plays as a striker he can be a really good scorer, and now he plays on the wing. But he has the freedom to create superiority in certain areas of the pitch. And he’s our leader.”

source: sports.inquirer.net