Barcelona - NouCamp Faithful

[lacoruna69]

Manchester City 0 - 2 Barcelona : Barca too strong for 10-man City

1st Leg

Lionel Messi and Daniel Alves punished 10-man Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie at the Etihad Stadium.

Four-time World Player of the Year Messi struck from the penalty spot with 54 minutes gone after being brought down by Martin Demichelis, who was sent off.

City had their chances but Barcelona dominated possession throughout and were rewarded when Alves struck the second in the last minute.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Real Sociedad 3 - 1 Barcelona : Barca shocked by Sociedad

Barcelona endured another miserable trip to the Anoeta on Saturday as Real Sociedad produced a brilliant team display to beat the under-par Catalan giants 3-1.

The Basque outfit, who defeated Barcelona 3-2 in the corresponding fixture last term, went ahead in the 32nd minute when Gorka Elustondo's header found the net via the shoulder of visiting defender Alex Song.

Lionel Messi equalised four minutes later with a typically clinical finish, but further home goals in the first 14 minutes of the second half - scored by Antoine Griezmann and David Zurutuza - ensured the Primera Division champions left San Sebastian empty-handed for the third time in four seasons.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 4 - 1 Almeria : Messi on target again

Barcelona closed to within a point of Primera Division leaders Real Madrid after an emphatic, if not always totally convincing, 4-1 victory over Almeria at the Nou Camp.

After Real and city rivals Atletico Madrid had played out a 2-2 draw earlier in the day, Sunday's late contest afforded Barcelona the chance to get right back in the title mix after their costly defeat at Real Sociedad last weekend.

Alexis Sanchez set the hosts on their way in the 10th minute before a superb Lionel Messi free-kick made it 2-0 inside 25 minutes.

A moment's sloppiness in the Barca backline allowed Angel Trujillo to pull one back for Almeria and at 2-1 Barca endured more than one or two nervy moments as the visitors probed for a leveller.

It took until the 83rd minute for Barcelona to finally put the contest to bed, Carles Puyol following up with a smart finish after Messi's header had come back off the bar, while there was still time for Xavi to inflate the scoreline further with a sumptuous fourth.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[Tai_zi21]

Rossi shocks Barca

Relegation-battling Real Valladolid caused one of the upsets of the La Liga season after inflicting a 1-0 defeat on reigning champions Barcelona.


Real Valladolid
Barcelona

7(2) Shots (on goal) 13(6)
15 Fouls 14
4 Corner kicks 3
2 Offsides 3
25% Time of Possession 75%
5 Yellow Cards 1
0 Red Cards 0
6 Saves 1

[lacoruna69]

Rossi shocks Barca

Relegation-battling Real Valladolid caused one of the upsets of the La Liga season after inflicting a 1-0 defeat on reigning champions Barcelona.


Real Valladolid
Barcelona

7(2) Shots (on goal) 13(6)
15 Fouls 14
4 Corner kicks 3
2 Offsides 3
25% Time of Possession 75%
5 Yellow Cards 1
0 Red Cards 0
6 Saves 1

Unbelievable....look at the disparity in Table standings....:eek:

[lacoruna69]

Real Valladolid 1 - 0 Barcelona : Rossi shocks Barca

Relegation-battling Real Valladolid caused one of the upsets of the La Liga season after inflicting a 1-0 defeat on reigning champions Barcelona.

The clubs were separated by 40 points and 16 places coming into the match but it was third-bottom Valladolid who emerged victorious thanks to Fausto Rossi's first-half strike.

Second-placed Barcelona had several chances to get back into the match but could find no way past Valladolid keeper Diego Marino, and Gerardo Martino's men could now find themelves four points adrift of Real Madrid if the pacesetters beat Levante on Sunday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 2 - 1 Manchester City : Barcelona show their class

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 4-1 on agg)

Lionel Messi and Dani Alves both scored again as Barcelona claimed their place in the Champions League quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over Manchester City.

The pair, who both struck in the 2-0 first-leg win, were on target in the second half at the Nou Camp as Barca completed a 4-1 aggregate win.

City were briefly level at 1-1 after a late Vincent Kompany effort but it proved mere consolation for the visitors, who had Pablo Zabaleta sent off for two bookable offences.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 7 - 0 Osasuna : Messi hits record-breaking treble

Lionel Messi hit a hat-trick to become Barcelona's all-time top scorer as the Catalan club cruised to a commanding 7-0 win over Osasuna.

The 26-year-old opened the scoring after 19 minutes to equal Paulino Alcantara's record of 369 goals in all competitions - including friendlies - for Barcelona. Alexis Sanchez and Andres Iniesta increased the hosts' advantage before the break.

Messi struck again in the second half to move onto 370 goals and become the club's undisputed top marksman, and then completed his treble with a simple finish in the 87th minute, after substitute Cristian Tello had rammed in the fifth goal.

There was still time for a seventh goal, however, Messi adding an assist to his goal haul by teeing up Pedro.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Real Madrid 3 - 4 Barcelona : Messi hat trick wins thrilling clasico

Barcelona reignited their title challenge with a 4-3 victory over Real Madrid in a pulsating clasico that had a little bit of everything.

There were stunning individual performances on both sides, three penalties, a red card, and somewhere amid it all, a Lionel Messi hat trick. Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria bossed the first half, but both found themselves substituted in the second as Madrid moved into crisis management.


Andres Iniesta put Barca ahead just four minutes in, but Benzema's brace turned it around before Messi levelled before the break. Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty restored Madrid's lead but after Sergio Ramos brought down Neymar in the area, Madrid were down to 10 and two Messi penalties won it for the visitors.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 0 Celta Vigo : Valdes injury mars Barca victory

Goals from Neymar and Lionel Messi meant Barcelona kept the pressure on title rivals Atletico and Real Madrid with a comfortable 3-0 win over Celta Vigo but the evening turned sour when Victor Valdes was carried off with a serious knee injury that could end his Barca career and rule him out of the World Cup.

The goalkeeper struggled to hold on to a free-kick from Fabian Orellana midway through the first half and landed on his right knee as he gathered the ball, and was seen crying as he was taken off the pitch, replaced by Jose Pinto.

It could be Valdes' last appearance for the club, with the player set to depart Barcelona in the summer when his contract runs out.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Espanyol 0 - 1 Barcelona : Messi decides the derby

Lionel Messi scored his third penalty in six days to give Barcelona a 1-0 win at local rivals Espanyol and boost their chances of retaining the Primera Division title.

With 14 minutes remaining of a difficult afternoon for Gerardo Martino's side, the prolific Argentina forward calmly sent his spot-kick the other side of Espanyol goalkeeper Kiko Casilla, who was then sent off for handling another shot from Messi outside his area.

Defender Javi Lopez, who had given away the penalty, went in goal for the remaining eight minutes, but Barca were unable to take further advantage.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 1 - 1 Atletico Madrid : Neymar leveller rescues Barcelona

1st Leg

Neymar cancelled out a stunning opening goal by Diego Ribas to ensure it ended all square between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp, with everything to play for in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg next week at the Calderon.

Brazilian forward Diego came on to replace Atletico's talisman Diego Costa after half an hour and unleashed an unstoppable drive from 30 yards to put the visitors ahead 11 minutes into the second half.

But compatriot Neymar finished off a fine pass by Andres Iniesta to level the score 15 minutes later and set up the fourth successive draw in the meetings between the two teams this season as the match finished tied at 1-1.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 1 Real Betis : Barca pile on pressure

Barcelona produced an unconvincing display against Real Betis but still beat the Primera Division bottom side 3-1 to keep the pressure on league leaders Atletico Madrid.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 15 minutes and Jordi Figueras, who had conceded the spot-kick, doubled Barca's lead with an own goal midway through the second half.

Betis striker Ruben Castro quickly pulled one back for the visitors but Messi struck again in the 85th minute, reacting quickly to having a penalty saved to send the ball in on the rebound and seal the three points.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Atletico Madrid 1 - 0 Barcelona : Atletico make history

2nd Leg (Atletico wins 2-1 on agg)

Atletico Madrid reached the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time following a 1-0 win over Spanish rivals Barcelona.

Koke's fifth-minute strike was enough to send Atletico through to the last four, although Diego Simeone's men could have killed the tie off in a breathless first 20 minutes.

Atletico, without injured star striker Diego Costa, hit the woodwork three times during their early burst and wasted several other chances late on.

It was the sort of profligacy that Barca might have been expected to punish, but they never found any consistent attacking threat - with Lionel Messi largely ineffective - to send the Catalans to their earliest exit in seven years.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Granada 1 - 0 Barcelona : Brahimi strike stuns Barca

Barcelona's title hopes were dealt a crushing blow as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at struggling Granada, completing a nightmare week for the Catalan club after being dumped out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid.

The match was settled by a solitary goal by Yacine Brahimi after 15 minutes, the Algerian racing through a Barca defence containing no natural centre-backs and scoring past Jose Manuel Pinto.

The visitors, who began without midfield metronome Xavi and first-choice full-backs Dani Alves and Jordi Alba, were unable to respond - thwarted on a number of occasions by Granada's outstanding goalkeeper Orestis Karnesis, who was making only his second start of the season.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[Johnbass]

Wah lacoruna69 bro, u r really Barcelona #1 fan sia... Regularly updates here.
Go Messi Go!
Support!
:D

[lacoruna69]

Wah lacoruna69 bro, u r really Barcelona #1 fan sia... Regularly updates here.
Go Messi Go!
Support!
:D

Well....I merely took over....not exactly a big fan.
My original intention was to generate some interest in Spanish Primera Liga because I find it is of good quality.
Interest becomes a habit. Haha.

[lacoruna69]

Real Madrid 2 - 1 Barcelona : Madrid crowned clasico kings

Gareth Bale scored the most important goal of his career to win the Copa del Rey for Real Madrid, netting the decisive goal against fierce rivals Barcelona in the final at the Mestalla.

The most expensive player in the world raced from the halfway line down the left wing before poking the ball past Jose Manuel Pinto to restore Madrid's lead with five minutes remaining, after Marc Bartra had cancelled out Angel Di Maria's first-half opener.

The Welshman had produced his best performance in his third game against Barcelona but had failed to find the net, but his guile paid off as his stunning late strike gave Madrid their 19th Copa del Rey, and the first trophy under coach Carlo Ancelotti.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 2 - 1 Athletic Bilbao : Messi to the rescue

Two goals in three minutes saw Barcelona come from behind to end a run of three straight defeats, but a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao could only paper over so many cracks at the Nou Camp.

A crowd of barely more than 30,000 suggested the locals had already made their mind up about the under-pressure Gerardo Martino, and his players did not do much to make his case as they struggled to muster their usual cutting edge until they had fallen behind.

Aritz Aduriz had already missed two outstanding chances to score before he put Bilbao ahead in the 50th minute, and it was not until the 72nd that Barca found a somewhat fortunate equaliser through Pedro.

Having done that, they needed only two minutes for Lionel Messi to give them the lead.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Villarreal 2 - 3 Barcelona : Messi seals comeback win

Barcelona came from two goals down to beat Villarreal 3-2 and stay in the Primera Division title race on an emotional night for the club.

Playing their first game since the death of former coach Tito Vilanova, who died of throat cancer aged 45 this week, Barca were subdued for much of the first half and trailed to a Ruben Cani goal scored on the stroke of half-time.

Manuel Trigueros then doubled the lead 10 minutes into the second half, but two Villarreal own goals sparked a comeback as Gabriel Paulista and Mateo Musacchio inadvertently brought things level before Lionel Messi struck the killer blow seven minutes from time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 2 - 2 Getafe : Barca's title hopes hit by Getafe

A stoppage-time goal from Angel Lafita snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw for Getafe at Barcelona, which could prove fatal to the Catalan club's hopes of retaining the Primera Division title.

Gerardo Martino's men began the day four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid but a victory looked likely when Alexis Sanchez fired home in the second half after Lafita had earlier cancelled out Lionel Messi's opener.

But struggling Getafe grabbed an unlikely point with another equaliser from Lafita - 90 seconds into stoppage time - and Barca will find themselves six points behind Atletico if the Madrid club beat Levante on Sunday, with the two sides set to meet on the final day of the season.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Elche 0 - 0 Barcelona : Barca frustrated at Elche

Barcelona set up a winner-takes-all clash against Atletico Madrid on the last day of the season after they drew 0-0 against strugglers Elche and Atleti were held at home by Malaga.

The results mean Barca and Atletico will face each other at the Nou Camp in a Primera Division title showdown next Sunday, with only a win enough for Gerardo Martino's side to claim the league honours.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 1 - 1 Atletico Madrid : Atletico crowned Spanish champions

Atletico Madrid ground out a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp to claim their first Primera Division title since 1996.

It was not always pretty, but Diego Godin's headed equaliser early in the second half was enough to deny Barca in a tense title decider.

The hosts had taken the lead with a stunning strike from Alexis Sanchez but it was a rare sight of goal for the hosts, with Lionel Messi cutting a frustrated figure and Atletico's defence standing firm.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[Hurricane88]

New thread...WORLD CUP 2014...here

please support...:)

http://www.sammyboysexforum.com/showthread.php?t=454164

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 0 Elche : Enrique off to a winning start

Goals from Lionel Messi and teenager Munir El Haddadi ensured Luis Enrique got his era as Barcelona coach off to a winning start as they beat Elche 3-0.

The Catalans had to play the entire second half with 10 man after Javier Mascherano was sent off, but they had earlier taken the lead through Messi, who also grabbed the third, with exciting 18-year-old forward Munir scoring just after half-time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Villarreal 0 - 1 Barcelona : Sandro Ramirez strikes to give Barcelona victory over Villarreal

Sandro scored his first senior goal for Barcelona to give them a narrow 1-0 win at Villarreal.

Luis Enrique's men had looked distinctly out of sorts at El Madrigal until the teenager's struck in the 82nd minute goal, failing to zip the ball around in their usual manner.

They struggled to get too many sights of Villarreal's goal and only the woodwork meant they were not behind.

But Sandro, a 19-year-old academy graduate, ensured that Barcelona went home with the spoils tapping in a cross from Lionel Messi, who had been frustrated by the Villarreal defence all night.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 2 - 0 Athletic Bilbao : Late Neymar double downs Athletic Bilbao to keep Barcelona top of La Liga

Two stunning pieces of skill by Lionel Messi and two languid finishes from substitute Neymar saw Barcelona beat a resilient Athletic Bilbao 2-0 to pick up a third consecutive win to stay top of the Primera Division.

Ernesto Valverde's side had produced a disciplined performance at Camp Nou and looked to be heading for a point until a moment of brilliance from Messi released Neymar, who broke the deadlock with nine minutes remaining.

The Argentina and Brazil captains then combined again for the second goal, with Messi cutting the ball back for his teammate to strike low into the bottom corner and deliver the final blow to Athletic.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 1 - 0 Apoel Nicosia : Gerard Pique scores winner as Barcelona beat APOEL Nicosia

Barcelona opened their Champions League campaign with victory over Apoel Nicosia, although the 1-0 result will have done little to worry any of their Group F rivals.

The Primera Division side wasted chance after chance at the Nou Camp, with Gerard Pique's first-half header all that separated the two sides in the end.

And with a trip to French champions Paris Saint-Germain next up for Barca, Luis Enrique's men will need to perform much better if they are to maintain their proud record in the competition.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)[/QUOTE]

[lacoruna69]

Levante 0 - 5 Barcelona : Five-star Barcelona march on

Barcelona's perfect start to the new Primera Division season continued with a processional 5-0 victory over bottom side Levante at Ciutat de Valencia.

Luis Enrique's early leaders made it four wins from four and kept a fourth straight clean sheet as goals from Neymar, Ivan Rakitic, Sandro, Pedro and Lionel Messi demonstrated the wide gulf in class between the two sides.

There were, however, two moments of concern for the Catalan giants, with Messi missing a penalty after Loukas Vyntra was dismissed and Neymar making a premature exit in the second half having turned his ankle.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Malaga 0 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona drop first points of season

Barcelona's 100 percent winning start to their Primera Division campaign ended after a goalless draw at Malaga.

Luis Enrique, in his first season at the helm at the Nou Camp, had led his side to four successive victories with 11 goals in the process.

However, at La Rosaleda, they were lucky to escape with a point and failed to register a shot on target.

The home side have made an unspectacular start to the season, although their only win did come against Athletic Bilbao - who finished fourth last season.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 6 - 0 Granada : Barcelona boss Luis Enrique heaps praise on Lionel Messi

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique once more hailed his side's star man Lionel Messi after the Argentine's double in Saturday's 6-0 La Liga stroll past Granada brought him past 400 career goals.

Neymar also scored a hat trick as Barca returned to the top of the early La Liga table, with Ivan Rakitic also getting on the scoresheet as Granada's initially solid resistance quickly crumbled at the Camp Nou.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)[/QUOTE]

[lacoruna69]

Paris St Germain 3 - 2 Barcelona : Paris Saint-Germain defeat Barcelona despite Zlatan Ibrahimovic absence

Paris St Germain shrugged off the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to inflict a first defeat on Barcelona under their new coach Luis Enrique with a thrilling 3-2 victory at the Parc des Princes.

Injury denied Ibrahimovic the chance to face his former club but PSG proved they are no one-man team as goals from David Luiz, Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi helped them take the spoils in Paris.

Barca responded with goals from their own star strikers Lionel Messi and Neymar but could not find an equaliser, with rising star Munir El Haddadi coming closest with an 85th-minute effort that hit the post.

The result sees PSG replace Barca at the top of Champions League Group F on four points, one more than the Catalan side.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Rayo Vallecano 0 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi and Neymar on target as Barcelona ease past Rayo Vallecano

Barcelona remain at the top of the Primera Division table following a comfortable yet unremarkable 2-0 win at Rayo Vallecano, who had two men sent off in the second half.

The Madrid side made a promising start to the game but Lionel Messi got the visitors off the mark after 34 minutes and a moment later Neymar doubled the advantage to kill off Rayo's hopes.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men on the hour mark when Jorge Morcillo received a second booking, and Rayo forward Javier Aquino suffered the same fate in injury time, but they conceded no further goals.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 0 Eibar : Messi to the rescue

Lionel Messi marked the 10-year anniversary of his Barcelona debut by scoring his 250th league goal and providing an assist to see off Eibar 3-0 and keep the Catalans top of the Primera Division ahead of next week's clasico.

The Basque minnows produced a dogged performance at the Nou Camp but their resistance tumbled just before the hour mark when Messi assisted Xavi Hernandez.

Neymar then volleyed in a second and Messi rounded off the scoring to take him to just one strike away from equalling former Athletic Bilbao striker Telmo Zarra's record of 251 Primera Division goals.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 1 Ajax Amsterdam : Lionel Messi draws level with Ronaldo as Barcelona cruise past Ajax

Lionel Messi drew level with fierce rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the race to become the Champions League's all-time top goalscorer as Barcelona warmed up for El Clasico with a 3-1 victory over Ajax.

Both Messi and Real Madrid's Ronaldo have now scored 69 goals in the competition after the Argentinian followed up Neymar's first-half opener at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night.

He was later withdrawn with a view to keeping him fresh for Saturday's showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu and remains, along with Ronaldo, two goals shy of former Real striker Raul's record tally.

Ajax steadily gained a foothold as the second half progressed but, shortly after Anwar El Ghazi halved the deficit, Sandro Ramirez rubber-stamped the result with a stoppage-time strike.

The win sees Barca reach six points and retain second place in Group F behind Paris St Germain, who beat APOEL in Cyprus.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[Johnbass]

Real Madrid vs Barcelona FTW!!!
Fark BPL tonight...
:D

[lacoruna69]

Real Madrid 3 - 1 Barcelona : Real Madrid spoil Luis Suarez debut as Barcelona fall to defeat

Real Madrid overcame Neymar's early opening goal to see off arch rivals Barcelona 3-1 at the Bernabeu as Luis Suarez made his long-awaited debut for Barca.

A Cristiano Ronaldo penalty levelled things up before the break and then a header from Pepe and Karim Benzema's counterattack goal flattened Luis Enrique's side, who suffered their first defeat of the season and also conceded for the first time in 776 minutes.

In the build up to the first El Clasico of the season the focus was on Suarez and Lionel Messi, who was hoping to become the Primera Division's all-time top scorer, but it was Los Blancos that took centre stage to cut the deficit behind the Catalans to a single point.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 0 - 1 Celta Vigo : Barcelona fall to second successive defeat as Celta Vigo seal win

Luis Suarez's Nou Camp debut turned into a Halloween nightmare for Barcelona as they were beaten 1-0 by coach Luis Enrique's former side Celta Vigo.

The Catalan giants had nine shots on target and hit the woodwork three times, but the game was decided by Joaquin Larrivey's strike in the 55th minute - dealing Barca a first home defeat since January.

The result was a second straight loss in La Liga for Luis Enrique's side following last weekend's Clasico reverse at the Bernabeu, and meant Barca also surrendered top spot to their arch rivals following Real Madrid's 4-0 win at Granada earlier on Saturday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)[/QUOTE]

[lacoruna69]

Ajax Amsterdam 0 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi equals goal record as Barcelona beat Ajax

Lionel Messi equalled Raul's record of 71 Champions League goals with a brace to earn Barcelona a 2-0 win over Ajax in Group F.

Holland goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen's howler gifted the opener to the Argentina star, who poked home his second in the 76th minute to move level with the record and one ahead of Raul's successor in the Real Madrid number seven shirt, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The win confirmed Barca's qualification for the last 16 along with Paris St Germain, who beat APOEL in France, with two games to spare.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Almeria 1 - 2 Barcelona : Alba seals Barcelona comeback as Suarez stars against Almeria

Luis Suarez came off the bench to rescue Barcelona from another disastrous defeat, providing both assists as the Catalans came from behind to win 2-1 at Almeria.

Former Espanyol striker Thievy Bifouma had given the hosts the lead before half-time against a Barca team that started without mainstays Neymar, Suarez, Gerard Pique, Dani Alves and Xavi Hernandez.

But Luis Enrique made decisive changes at the break in an attempt to avert a third straight league defeat, bringing on Neymar, Suarez, and later Xavi.

The Brazilian forward grabbed the equaliser thanks to a pass from Suarez and then the Uruguayan also played in Jordi Alba for the winning goal in the 82nd minute.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 5 - 1 Sevilla : Lionel Messi makes history with hat trick

Lionel Messi scored his first hat trick of the season and made history as he fired Barcelona to a resounding 5-1 win at home to Sevilla.

The Argentine's treble took him past former Athletic Bilbao forward Telmo Zarra's mark of 251 goals and on to 253. They have come in just 289 games.

The 27-year-old opened the scoring with a sensational free-kick to draw level with Zarra, but his strike was cancelled out by Jordi Alba's own goal at the start of the second half.

Neymar headed Barca back in front moments later and Ivan Rakitic extended Barca's lead before Messi broke the scoring record after an awesome combination with Neymar and then struck again to complete his treble.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)[/QUOTE]

[lacoruna69]

APOEL Nicosia 0 - 4 Barcelona : Lionel Messi makes history as Barcelona cruise to APOEL victory

Lionel Messi became the record Champions League goalscorer and Luis Suarez opened his account for Barcelona as the Catalan giants cruised to a 4-0 win over APOEL Nicosia.

Suarez put Barca ahead with his first goal for the club since his 64 million-pound summer move from Liverpool before Messi took centre-stage with a hat trick -- all with his less-favoured right foot.

The first of those saw him break former Real Madrid striker Raul's tally of 71 to make the Argentina superstar the leading scorer in the competition's history.

As well as being a memorable night for Messi and Suarez, the victory keeps Barcelona in with a chance of pipping Paris St Germain to top spot in Group F.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Valencia 0 - 1 Barcelona : Sergio Busquets nets late winner as Barcelona beat Valencia

Sergio Busquets netted a last-gasp winner as Barcelona's late pressure paid off in a 1-0 Primera Division victory over Valencia at the Mestalla, with the late goal proving too much too handle for one home supporter who threw a water bottle towards the players, hitting Lionel Messi on the head as he celebrated the winner.

Messi complained to the referee and was subsequently booked as he exited the pitch rubbing his head after what was a hard-fought win, which extended their winning streak to five matches.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Huesca 0 - 4 Barcelona : Ivan Rakitic, Andres Iniesta and Pedro boost Barcelona in Copa del Rey

1st Leg

There was good news all over the pitch for Barcelona on Wednesday night as manager Luis Enrique was able to rest key players yet still field a strong side that ran out 4-0 winners over third-tier Huesca in the last-32 of the Spanish Cup.

The dynamic of Barca's play was completely different from Sunday's 1-0 away win at Valencia (albeit against much weaker competition), when Enrique's team struggled to create chances.

On Wednesday, there were spectacular goals and strong performances from Ivan Rakitic, Andres Iniesta and Pedro Rodriguez -- all left out Sunday for different reasons -- as Barca dominated from the first minute.

Perhaps with points to prove, all three were excellent throughout and they showed they are ready to step up to a place in the starting XI for Sunday's derby with Espanyol, if Enrique sees fit.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 1 Espanyol : Lionel Messi hat trick sees Barcelona earn comeback win over Espanyol

Lionel Messi's hat trick sparked Barcelona into life as they came from behind to thrash Espanyol 5-1 in the Catalan derby on Sunday.

A day after Cristiano Ronaldo set a new Primera Division record for hat-tricks with 23, Messi grabbed one of his own to move up to 21 himself and secure local bragging rights for Barca in Catalonia.

Messi came to the rescue on the stroke of half-time to cancel out Sergio Garcia's opener for Espanyol, before adding his second five minutes later.

Gerard Pique made it three goals in eight minutes to put Barca firmly in control before Pedro added gloss to the scoreline and Messi turned it into a rout.

The win means that Barca, who also saw Real Madrid equal their record of 18 consecutive wins after their 3-0 triumph over Celta Vigo on Saturday, remain two points behind Los Blancos at the top of La Liga.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Paris St Germain : Barcelona avenge Paris Saint-Germain defeat to top group

Barcelona avenged their September defeat in the French capital by beating Paris St Germain 3-1 at Camp Nou to claim top spot in Champions League Group F.

PSG's home victory over the Catalan giants saw them take control of the pool for the rest of the autumn but Barca made sure to seize the opportunity to leapfrog them in Wednesday night's return meeting.

An early opener from their former employee Zlatan Ibrahimovic meant they had to rally from behind and they would, with goals from Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez steadily tightening the hosts' grip on the game.

With 15 points from six games Barca claimed first place and therefore a last-16 encounter with a second-placed team from another group while PSG, who accrued 13 points, can expect to face the likes of Real Madrid or Chelsea.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Getafe 0 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona frustrated by Getafe, lose ground on leaders Real Madrid

Barcelona slipped four points behind Primera Division leaders Real Madrid after drawing a blank on a damp and luckless afternoon at Getafe.

Luis Enrique's side could even have lost the game in the final seconds of stoppage time as substitute Alvaro Vazquez muscled his way towards goal, but the final whistle was blown before the striker could get his shot away, with the game ending 0-0.

The result means Real Madrid are guaranteed to be top of the table at Christmas, while Atletico Madrid could go level on points with Barcelona if they beat Villarreal on Sunday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 8 - 1 Huesca : Barca demolished minnows in style

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 12-1 on agg)

Barcelona demolished Huesca 8-1 at the Camp Nou in the second leg of the last 32 in the Copa del Rey. Pedro (hat-trick), Sergi Roberto, Andres Iniesta, Adriano, Adama Traore and Sandro Ramirez scored the goals for the Blaugrana, who enjoyed 75 percent of possession, created 26 goalscoring chances and attempted 23 shots, 14 of them on target.

With all due respect to the courageous visitors, this was definitely the easiest game of the season for the Catalans. The 4-0 advantage that the Blaugranas had already secured in the first leg, aided by their immense superiority in terms of squad quality and club budget, turned the game into little more than a high-intensity training session.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 0 Cordoba : Luis Suarez on target as Barcelona thrash Cordoba

Luis Suarez scored his first Primera Division goal and Lionel Messi hit a late double as Barcelona rounded off a difficult 2014 by thrashing minnows Cordoba 5-0.

Pedro got Barcelona off to a dream start by netting in the second minute and provided the pass for Suarez to double the lead early in the second half, with Gerard Pique and Messi scoring the final goals in the last 10 minutes.

The Catalans are now a point behind league leaders Real Madrid but have played one game more than Carlo Ancelotti's side, who took a break from league action to play the World Club Cup final against San Lorenzo.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Sociedad 1 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona lose away to Real Sociedad for third straight time

David Moyes' Real Sociedad held on to record a narrow 1-0 victory over Barcelona as they returned to winning ways at a damp Anoeta on Sunday evening.

An early own goal from Jordi Alba was all the hosts needed as they held off a second-half onslaught from substitute Lionel Messi, with Luis Suarez also denied as Sociedad moved up to 13th in the Primera Division table.

Goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and the Sociedad defence worked hard to keep the Catalans at bay during Moyes' eighth game in charge as Sociedad claimed their third home victory in succession over Barca, who remain one point behind leaders Real Madrid.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 0 Elche : Lionel Messi returns to form as Barcelona crush Elche

1st Leg

Barcelona shrugged off a turbulent few days as they romped to victory in the first leg of their Copa del Rey fifth-round tie, beating Elche 5-0 at home.

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu announced on Wednesday his decision to bring the club's elections forward by 12 months in order to recover "stability" following growing media reports of friction in the changing room and in the boardroom in recent times. A number of players are said to be unhappy with coach Luis Enrique's methods.

That came after Barca sacked sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta on Monday, while club stalwart Carles Puyol left his position as an assistant.

But all seemed well on the Nou Camp pitch on Thursday night as they thrashed Elche to put one foot in the quarter-finals.

It took 35 minutes for Neymar to break the deadlock, firing home after a neat pass from Luis Suarez, but the goal opened the floodgates.

Suarez got the second after a neat turn, and after Lionel Messi had a goal chalked off for offside, the Argentinian scored the third from the penalty spot after Neymar tumbled under the attentions of Enzo Roco.

Jordi Alba turned home Messi's pass for the fourth early in the second half and Neymar's deflected shot made it 5-0 on the hour-mark.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Atletico Madrid : Lionel Messi and Barcelona too strong for Atletico Madrid

Barcelona responded to a turbulent week by producing one of their best performances of the season to beat champions Atletico Madrid 3-1 at the Nou Camp.

Neymar put the hosts ahead after 12 minutes and Luis Suarez doubled their advantage before the break.

Mario Mandzukic pulled one back for Diego Simeone's side after Lionel Messi had given away a penalty but the Argentinian sealed the points for the Catalans late on with a close-range finish.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Elche 0 - 4 Barcelona : Barcelona cruise into Copa del Rey Quarter finals

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 9-0 on agg)

Leading 5-0 from the first leg, the Catalans were ruthless, despite sending out a young team. Jeremy Mathieu's superb curling free kick opened the scoring in the 21st minute and Sergi Roberto doubled the lead with a fine strike just before half-time.

Three minutes later, though, Pedro netted a penalty to send the side into the break 3-0 up.

With such a huge lead, the second half was largely academic, but Adriano popped up with a header in the final minute to make it 4-0 and put the gloss on a win that nearly reached doubled figures over the two legs.

Barcelona will meet Atletico Madrid in the Quarter finals

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 0 Deportivo La Coruna : Lionel Messi grabs hat trick

Lionel Messi once again responded to speculation about his Barcelona future with a sensational performance on the pitch, scoring a hat-trick as the Catalans trounced Deportivo La Coruna 4-0.

The Argentinian sounded the alarm bells last week by declaring at the FIFA Ballon d'Or ceremony that he did not know where he would be next year, but gave Barca a two-goal advantage at the break at Riazor and then completed his treble in the second half.

A late own goal by defender Sidnei compounded struggling Depor's misery.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Atlético de Madrid : Lionel Messi grabs winner

1st Leg

Barcelona achieved a hard-earned 1-0 home win against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals. Lionel Messi scored for the Blaugrana, who enjoyed 71 percent of possession, created 12 goal-scoring chances and attempted seven shots, four of them on target.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Elche 0 - 6 Barcelona : Lionel Messi and Neymar lead Barcelona rout against Elche

Lionel Messi and Neymar each scored braces as Barcelona eviscerated struggling Elche 6-0 to keep the pressure on leaders Real Madrid.

The Catalans needed 36 minutes to break the deadlock through Gerard Pique but dominated the second half, particularly after Elche midfielder Faycal Fajr was sent off in the 57th minute.

Neymar and Messi then set about ravaging their opponents, while Pedro scored the final goal of the game in injury time.

This is the last time the two sides will face each other this season and Elche must be relieved to see the back of the Blaugranas, having conceded a total of 18 goals and scoring none in the four times they have met.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Atletico Madrid 2 - 3 Barcelona : Neymar fires Barcelona past nine-man Atletico Madrid in Copa del Rey

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 4-2 on agg)

Barcelona came from a goal down to defeat nine-man Atletico Madrid 3-2 in a feisty Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg clash at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday.

Fernando Torres opened the scoring for the hosts in the first minute with a low strike that went in off the post from 20 yards out but Barca were back on level terms within 10 minutes when Lionel Messi linked up with Luis Suarez to put Neymar through.

Raul Garcia edged Atletico back in front with with a 30th minute penalty before an own goal by Miranda (38og) and second score for Neymar (41) gave Barca the lead.

Atletico midfielder Gabi was sent off in the 45th minute, and following the restart Arda Turan was booked after throwing his boot in the direction of an assistant referee after not winning a foul as the contest hotted up.

Mario Suarez also saw red six minutes before the final whistle after his second bookable offence, with Atletico unable to find a late equaliser on the night.

It meant Barca progressed 4-2 on aggregate, following a 1-0 win in last week's first leg at the Nou Camp.

Barcelona will meet Villarreal in the semi-finals.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 2 Villarreal : Lionel Messi settles score in entertaining win over Villarreal

Lionel Messi scored a brilliant winner as Barcelona twice fought from behind to beat Villarreal 3-2 in an entertainment-packed clash at the Nou Camp.

Villarreal, unbeaten in any competition since the start of November, were briefly on course for their first win over Barca in 12 attempts thanks to goals from Denis Cheryshev and Luciano Vietto, which sandwiched a Neymar equaliser.

However, Barca then struck twice in quick succession during a frenetic start to the second half to record an eighth successive win in league and cup, Rafinha drawing the teams level before Messi curled home a stunning 20-yard strike.

Villarreal pushed for an equaliser as the game swept from one end to another, but Barca held firm to remain a point behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Athletic Bilbao 2 - 5 Barcelona : Barcelona capitalize on Real Madrid slip

Barcelona took full advantage of Real Madrid's heavy defeat in the capital-city derby to close the gap at the top of the Primera Division to a single point on Sunday night.

Lionel Messi had a hand in all of Barcelona's goals, scoring one, as they trounced Athletic Bilbao 5-2, with strikes from Luis Suarez, Neymar, Pedro and an Oscar de Marcos own goal taking the Catalan giants clear.

Mikel Rico and Aritz Aduriz notched for Bilbao, but they never looked capable of springing an upset against Luis Enrique's side.

The win takes Barcelona up to 53 points and right onto Los Blancos' coattails after they lost 4-0 to third-placed rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Villarreal : Omnipresent Messi puts Barca on cusp of Copa final

1st Leg

Barcelona achieved a crucial 3-1 win against Villarreal at the Camp Nou in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique scored the goals for the Blaugrana, who enjoyed 71 percent of possession, created 17 scoring chances and attempted 12 shots, six of them on target.

While the return match at El Madrigal will certainly be a challenge, especially considering the valuable away goal by Manu Trigueros, this positive home result makes the Blaugrana the clear favourite to progress to the final.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 0 Levante : Lionel Messi nets hat trick as Barcelona hit five past Levante

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in his 300th Primera Division match as Barcelona thumped Levante 5-0 on Sunday.

Neymar opened the scoring, with Messi adding the second in the 38th minute as Barcelona looked totally comfortable against their lowly opponents.

The Argentina striker added his second and Barcelona's third in the 59th minute as Luis Enrique's side continued to dominate the match.

Messi then completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 65th minute before Luis Suarez added the gloss with a fifth goal courtesy of a bicycle kick.

The win means Barcelona are now back to within a point of Primera Division leaders Real Madrid, who defeated Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 on Saturday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 0 - 1 Malaga : Juanmi's early strike helps Malaga stun Barcelona

Barcelona's preparations for their Champions League clash with Manchester City were rocked as they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home against Malaga.

Twenty-one-year-old Juanmi scored the only goal of the game after just seven minutes following a glaring mistake by Dani Alves and Barcelona never recovered, producing a sluggish display which knocks a huge dent in their title hopes.

The Catalans passed up the opportunity to go top of the table and instead remained a point behind league leaders Real Madrid, who had the opportunity to extend their advantage to four points by winning at Elche on Sunday evening.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Manchester City 1 - 2 Barcelona : Luis Suarez double sees Barcelona to victory at Manchester City

1st Leg

Luis Suarez struck twice on his return to England as Barcelona taught Manchester City another Champions League lesson with a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.

But after being swept aside by a masterful Barca display in the first half, City at least gave themselves hope for the second leg of the last-16 tie as Sergio Aguero produced a brilliant reply.

City were left hanging on in the latter stages, however, after Gael Clichy was sent off for a second bookable offence and it needed an injury-time penalty save from Joe Hart to prevent further damage.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Granada 1 - 3 Barcelona : Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez lead Barcelona past Granada

Barcelona kept the pressure on league leaders Real Madrid after winning 3-1 at Granada without reaching top gear.

Ivan Rakitic opened the scoring after 25 minutes and then Luis Suarez struck at the start of the second period, grabbing his third goal in four days. Fran Rico pulled one back for the hosts from the penalty spot but Suarez then put the ball on a plate for Lionel Messi to restore the two-goal advantage.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Villarreal 1 - 3 Barcelona : Neymar and Suarez star as Barcelona reach the Copa del Rey final

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 6-2 on agg)

Barcelona qualified for their fifth Copa del Rey final in seven years after beating Villarreal 3-1 at El Madrigal (6-2 on aggregate). Neymar scored twice and Luis Suarez added the third for the Blaugrana.

Luis Enrique's strong lineup showed that, despite the comfortable advantage achieved at the Camp Nou in the first leg, he was not prepared to take any chances. The Catalans' focus was obvious and helped them start the game in style, with Neymar scoring in the third minute.

While the hosts made their fans proud by constantly pushing forward and often taking the game to Barca's defence but overcoming a 4-1 aggregate deficit was simply too much to ask for.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 6 - 1 Rayo Vallecano : Lionel Messi hat trick sees Barcelona top of La Liga

Lionel Messi scored a record-breaking 24th Primera Division hat trick and Luis Suarez hit a brace as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 6-1 at the Camp Nou to return to the top of the table in emphatic style.

The Uruguayan got the ball rolling with an early goal and Gerard Pique doubled the lead shortly after the break, before Messi scored a treble inside 12 minutes which took him one hat trick clear of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Both sides had their right-backs sent off, with Tito getting two yellow cards for Rayo and Dani Alves getting a straight red for bringing down Alberto Bueno, who scored a consolation goal for the visitors, only for Suarez to pounce again in stoppage-time.

This was a merciless performance from Luis Enrique's side, who go one point clear at the top of the table after Real Madrid lost at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, reclaiming top spot for the first time in 2015.

And Messi's hat-trick -- his sixth of the season -- takes him level with Ronaldo at the top of the league's scoring charts with 30 goals from 25 starts.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Eibar 0 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi brace sees Barcelona past Eibar

Lionel Messi scored either side of half-time to give Barcelona a 2-0 win at struggling Eibar and ensure the Catalans stay top of the Primera Division the week before next Sunday's crunch match with eternal rivals Real Madrid.

The Argentinian broke the deadlock from the penalty spot shortly after the half-hour mark and then scored a header early in the second half to seal the points for Barcelona.

The brace also sees the 27-year-old move ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the La Liga scoring charts, totting up 32 goals in 26 starts.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Manchester City : Messi, brilliant Barcelona ease past Man City; Aguero misses penalty

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 3-1 on agg)

Lionel Messi and Barcelona turned on the style to dump Manchester City and their inspired goalkeeper Joe Hart out of the Champions League.

It was thanks to Hart's heroics that Barcelona could manage only a 1-0 win at the Nou Camp.

Ivan Rakitic scored the only goal of another one-sided encounter between the two sides, completing a 3-1 aggregate win to secure the Catalan giants' place in the quarterfinals.

City did show some spirit in the second half, and could have pulled one back when Sergio Aguero had a penalty saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen -- but in truth the scoreline flattered them.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 1 Real Madrid : Suarez strike sinks Real Madrid

Luis Suarez's stunning second-half strike fired Barcelona to a 2-1 win over Real Madrid to move four points clear of their eternal rivals at the top of La Liga.

The Uruguayan brought down Dani Alves's long ball to produce a sweet finish past Iker Casillas on 55 minutes, restoring Barca's lead after Cristiano Ronaldo had cancelled out Jeremy Mathieu's opener in the first half.

Although Madrid were on top for most of the opening 45 minutes, the second half belonged to the Catalans, with Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Suarez all missing chances to stretch their lead late on.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Celta Vigo 0 - 1 Barcelona : Jeremy Mathieu nods Barcelona home in tricky match

Jeremy Mathieu scored a late headed goal to give Barcelona all three points from a testing encounter at Celta Vigo.

The French defender outmuscled his marker at the far post to head home Xavi's free-kick in the 75th minute, just two weeks after nodding in the opening goal in the 2-1 win over Real Madrid.

Barcelona struggled for large parts of the game against coach Luis Enrique's former employers -- who were reduced to 10 men in the closing minutes as Fabian Orellana was shown a straight red card for throwing a piece of turf at Sergio Busquets -- but they stay four points clear of Madrid at the top of the Primera Division thanks to Mathieu's header.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 0 Almeria : Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on target as Barcelona beat Almeria

Barcelona beat Almeria 4-0 to secure their sixth successive league victory and further strengthen their position at the top of the Primera Division standings.

A sublime goal from Lionel Messi put Barca ahead after 33 minutes and a brace from Luis Suarez and Marc Bartra's strike ensured victory was secured in emphatic fashion.

Almeria offered little in attack at the Camp Nou and their third successive league defeat sees them remain in La Liga's bottom three.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Sevilla 2 - 2 Barcelona : Barcelona let two-goal lead slip

Barcelona threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Sevilla and hand Real Madrid a lifeline in the Primera Division title race.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a curled effort and Barcelona looked well on the way to a vital win when Neymar doubled the lead just past the half hour mark with an exquisite free-kick.

But Ever Banega pulled a goal back before half-time to lift the home fans - and the majority of the fans inside the Sanchez Pizjuan were delighted when substitute Kevin Gameiro levelled from close range in the 84th minute.

The Frenchman's strike preserves Sevilla's unbeaten home record this season and cuts Barca's lead over Madrid at the top of the league table to just two points, with seven matches of the season remaining.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Paris Saint-Germain 1 - 3 Barcelona : Suarez's brace seals resounding victory

1st Leg

Barcelona took a big step towards the Champions League semifinals with a resounding 3-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday's quarterfinal first leg at the Parc des Princes.

Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi combined to set up Neymar for a slick opener in the 18th minute, and Luis Suarez added two brilliant strikes in the second half to seemingly seal matters.

Gregory van der Wiel's effort was deflected past Marc-Andre ter Stegen by Barca substitute Jeremy Mathieu to give PSG some hope late on, but Laurent Blanc's side have it all to do in next Tuesday's second leg at the Camp Nou.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Valencia : Lionel Messi nets 400th goal as Barcelona beat Valencia

Lionel Messi scored his 400th goal for Barcelona to round off a nervy but vital 2-0 win over Valencia to keep the Catalans top of the Primera Division.

The Argentinian scored with the last kick of the game after Luis Suarez had opened the scoring inside the first minute of the match, but this impressive Valencia side were unlucky not to take more from the game, and Dani Parejo passed up an opportunity to equalise in the first half from the penalty spot.

However, Barcelona made it to half-time unscathed and then produced a solid second-half performance to take the three points.

The Catalans remain first in the Primera Division thanks to the win, while Valencia stay in fourth, suffering just their second league defeat in 2015.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Paris Saint-Germain : Neymar stars as Barcelona ease past PSG into Champions League semifinals

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 5-1 on agg)

Barcelona reached the Champions League semifinals for the seventh time in eight years after comfortably brushing aside the challenge of Paris Saint-Germain.

Barca did most of the damage in the first leg with a 3-1 win in Paris and they finished the job off with relative ease at the Camp Nou, with two first-half Neymar goals earning a 2-0 win.

Barca will meet Bayern Munich in the Semi-finals.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Espanyol 0 - 2 Barcelona : Neymar, Lionel Messi fire Barcelona to derby win

Neymar and Lionel Messi were on target as Barcelona eased their way to a 2-0 win at local rivals Espanyol to increase their grip on top spot in the Primera Division.

Brazilian Neymar struck after 16 minutes put Barcelona on their way to victory and then Messi scored from a tight angle nine minutes later to double the visitors' lead.

The only negative for Luis Enrique's side was Jordi Alba getting sent off in the second half for earning two successive bookings, but the league leaders continued playing as if it was they who had an extra man, and could have extended their lead.

Espanyol defender Hector Moreno was then also sent off in injury time to complete a miserable afternoon for the hosts.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 6 - 0 Getafe : Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez star in rout

Barcelona were at their brilliant best on Tuesday night as they romped to a 6-0 win over Getafe.

Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi both scored twice with Neymar also finding the net and Xavi rolling back the years with a virtuoso performance and impressive strike.

The result takes Barca five points clear at the top of the Primera Division ahead of closest rivals Real Madrid's clash against Alermia on Wednesday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Cordoba 0 - 8 Barcelona : Luis Suarez hits hat trick as Barcelona score eight to relegate Cordoba

Luis Suarez scored his first hat trick for Barcelona and Lionel Messi bagged a brace as the Catalans thrashed Cordoba 8-0 away from home, relegating the Andalusian side in the process.

The hosts did well to survive Barca's early onslaught but eventually fell behind to a thumping drive from Ivan Rakitic in the 42nd minute, and Suarez doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time.

Messi stretched the visitors' lead further by scoring in the first minute of the second half, and then Suarez struck again, before Gerard Pique, Messi and Neymar each scored, the latter from the penalty spot, with Suarez grabbing his third in the 88th minute.

Barca stay top of the Primera Division, while Cordoba mathematically seal their immediate return to the Segunda Division.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Bayern Munich : Lionel Messi puts in magical display

1st Leg

Lionel Messi's late brace ensured it was a miserable return to the Camp Nou for Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola as his former team ran out 3-0 winners in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.

The former Barcelona boss, who won 14 titles in four years with the Catalan giants, saw the architect of so many of his greatest triumphs put him on the brink of a Champions League exit at the penultimate stage for the second successive year.

Going into the game, Guardiola admitted Messi was "just too good" to be stopped and so it proved as the Argentinian ace, who was quiet for long periods, burst into life to give Luis Enrique's side the advantage before Neymar twisted the knife to make it 3-0 at the death.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Real Sociedad : Barcelona beat Real Sociedad thanks to goals from Neymar and Pedro

Barcelona moved a step closer to winning the Primera Division title after beating Real Sociedad 2-0 thanks to a header from Neymar and a stunning overhead kick from Pedro in the second half.

Luis Enrique's side could not offer the same barnstorming performance that saw them romp to victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday as David Moyes' side produced another impressive defensive display, but the visitors' resistance wilted after the break.

And after Real Madrid were held to a 2-2 home draw by Valencia later on Saturday, Barca stand four points clear with two rounds of games to go.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Bayern Munich 3 - 2 Barcelona : Barcelona reach Champions League final despite loss

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 5-3 on agg)

Barcelona booked their place in the Champions League final with a 5-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich despite losing the second leg 3-2 at the Allianz Arena.

Barca had won the first leg 3-0 at the Camp Nou after an inspired performance from Lionel Messi, and Pep Guardiola said before the return game that Bayern could only beat his former club if they adopted a patient approach.

Despite his comments, the game started at a blistering pace and, after good chances at either end, Bayern took the lead on seven minutes when Medhi Benatia was left unmarked to head home a Xabi Alonso corner.

With a quarter of an hour played, though, Bayern hopes were deflated when Messi played a perfectly weighted pass to Luis Suarez, who set up Neymar for a simple finish. That away goal left Bayern needing to score another four to have any prospect of progress, and their plight soon worsened.

After seeing Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski fail to convert good chances, they were caught on the counter with just under half an hour played, and Suarez set up Neymar for his second of the night.

Bayern came close when Lewandowski's shot looked to have defeated Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but the Barca keeper was able to get back to claw it off the line as the home side went in 2-1 down at the break.

Philipp Lahm almost cued up a fine chance for Schweinsteiger in the 49th minute, and 10 minutes later Lewandowski turned on the edge of the box and drilled a superb low shot past ter Stegen to draw level on the night.

Muller shot just wide as Bayern began to dominate, and they got the third goal their performance deserved in the 74th minute when Muller steered home after Schweinsteiger played a neat lay-off with his back to goal.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Atletico Madrid 0 - 1 Barcelona : Lionel Messi goal fuels Barcelona to fifth La Liga title

Lionel Messi's second-half winner sealed the Primera Division title for Barcelona, who claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.

The Catalan side dominated for the majority of the first half but took until the 65th minute to open the scoring and clinch the three points needed to seal their 23rd Spanish title with a game to go.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[SnowLeopards]

Good job on sealing the La Liga title.

However, I wish the Champions League is won by Juventus.

Pierre.

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Barcelona 2 - 2 Deportivo La Coruna : Lionel Messi scores twice in Xavi's Camp Nou farewell as Barcelona draw

Xavi's Camp Nou farewell was spoiled slightly as Deportivo La Coruna fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Barcelona and guarantee their Primera Division survival in the process.

Long-serving midfielder Xavi will bring an end to an 18-year Barca career when he leaves for Qatari side Al-Sadd in the summer and Lionel Messi looked to have given him the perfect send-off when he scored in both halves to put the newly-crowned champions into a 2-0 lead.

But Deportivo were fighting for their top-flight lives and Lucas Perez gave them hope with an exquisite long-range strike in the 67th minute before Diogo Salomao also struck from distance nine minutes later to earn a priceless point which preserved their top-flight status.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Athletic Bilbao 1 - 3 Barcelona : Lionel Messi in majestic form

Lionel Messi scored another wonder goal as Barcelona moved a step closer to completing the treble on Saturday night with a 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final.

Neymar thought he had opened the scoring as early as the 10th minute, only for his neat volley to be ruled out for offside, but it was not long until Barca were celebrating the first goal - and it arrived in some style.

Messi, starting just inside the Athletic half near the right touchline, weaved his way past four defenders and then beat Iago Herrerin at his near post for a stunning strike which set the Nou Camp alight on 20 minutes.

Neymar rounded off a neat team move to double Barca's advantage nine minutes before the break and Messi put the game further out of Athletic's reach by stabbing home a third goal on 74 minutes.

Twenty-year-old Inaki Williams, who had struck the bar with a volley four minutes before half-time, was rewarded for his endeavour with a consolation cup final goal 11 minutes from time, but that was as good as it got for the Basque outfit.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Juventus 1 - 3 Barcelona : Barcelona beat Juventus to complete treble

(OLYMPIASTADION, BERLIN, GERMANY)

Barcelona completed the Treble with a 3-1 win over Juventus in the Champions League final.

Barca, who had already won the Spanish title and the Copa Del Rey, won their second Treble in six years, becoming the first team to ever do it twice.

Ivan Rakitic gave Barca the lead very early on only for Alvaro Morata to equalise against the run of play. But Barca were not to be denied as Luis Suarez put them back in front and Neymar made sure with the last kick of the game.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[hongkongdoggy]

Top class indeed!:)

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LA Galaxy 1 - 2 Barcelona : Luis Suarez helps Barcelona defeat LA Galaxy in front of record crowd

Luis Suarez scored in the 45th minute as Barcelona opened its U.S. preseason tour with a 2-1 victory over the LA Galaxy on Tuesday night before 93,226 fans at the Rose Bowl.

Sergi Roberto also scored in the 56th minute as the UEFA Champions League winners largely controlled their first match of the new season, delighting the biggest crowd for a club football game involving an MLS team in U.S. history.

Tommy Meyer scored late in second-half injury time for the defending MLS champion Galaxy, denying Barcelona of a clean sheet.

The record crowd largely supported Barcelona despite the absence of Lionel Messi and Neymar, who stayed home from the International Champions Cup tour to stay fresh for the games that count.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Manchester Utd 3 - 1 Barcelona : Wayne Rooney, Jesse Lingard help Manchester United defeat Barcelona

Wayne Rooney scored his first goal of the summer as Manchester United maintained their 100 percent tour record with a morale-boosting 3-1 win over European champions Barcelona.

Rooney ended an eight-match goalless run by heading in Ashley Young's first-half corner at the Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, in Santa Clara, California.

Shortly after making 11 substitutions, United doubled their lead in the International Champions Cup match thanks to Jesse Lingard's shot from inside the box.

Rafinha's late volley gave Barca a glimmer of hope, but Adnan Januzaj hit back instantly to give Louis van Gaal his third win of the club's pre-season tour of the United States.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Chelsea 2 - 2 Barcelona : Chelsea perfect from the penalty spot in win over Barcelona

Chelsea wins 4-2 in penalty kicks

Chelsea beat Barcelona 4-2 on penalty kicks after playing to a 2-2 draw at FedEx Field in Washington, D.C. Eden Hazard opened the scoring for Chelsea with a brilliant individual effort in the 10th minute to give the Blues an early lead.

A poor clearance by Cesar Azpilicueta fell to the feet of Luis Suarez in the box, and the Uruguayan calmly chipped home over Thibaut Courtois to level the score in the 52nd minute.

Sandro finished with a beautiful bending strike in the 66th minute to put Barcelona in front, as the Catalans looked to be cruising to the win. However, Gary Cahill out-jumped Barca's Jordi Masip in the match's closing minutes and headed home to level the score and force penalty kicks.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Fiorentina 2 - 1 Barcelona : Federico Bernardeschi nets early brace as Fiorentina hold off Barcelona

Federico Bernardeschi scored twice early in the first half to help Fiorentina defeat Barcelona 2-1 in the International Champions Cup on Sunday.

Bernardeschi opened the scoring with a header after just four minutes and then doubled the hosts' advantage in the 12th minute.

Barcelona responded five minutes later as Luis Suarez got on the end of a volleyed Ivan Rakitic pass to poke home.

But despite controlling 70 percent of possession there would be no equaliser for Barcelona, who again played without stars Lionel Messi and Neymar following their participation in the Copa America this summer.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 AS Roma : Lionel Messi cautioned for head-butt, throat grab of Roma's Yanga-Mbiwa

Lionel Messi and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa both received yellow cards after a heated exchange that saw the Barcelona No. 10 head-butt and grab the throat of the Roma defender in a 3-0 friendly win for Barca in the Joan Gamper Trophy match on Wednesday.

It's unclear what provoked the incident, but in the 34th minute Messi and Yanga-Mbiwa came face-to-face, with the Argentine clearly upset about something. Yanga-Mbiwa appeared to initiate the contact, leaning in with his forehead, and Messi responded by head-butting the French defender and then reaching for his throat.

The two players walked away of their own volition, with both receiving yellow cards. The offense could have easily drawn red for both, but Spanish referee Javier Estrada Fernandez instead only issued yellow.

Messi scored seven minutes later to give Barcelona a 2-0 advantage, building on a 26th minute goal from Neymar.

Ivan Rakitic left no doubt as to the outcome with a 66th minute strike from long range for the 3-0 final.

Roma's Alessandro Florenzi and Radja Nainggolan were also booked on a frustrating night for the visitors from Serie A.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 4 Sevilla : Barcelona win UEFA Super Cup with Pedro's winner in extra time

Pedro shrugged off rampant speculation over his future to score the winner in extra time and help Barcelona lift the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday with a 5-4 win over Sevilla.

Amid reports that Pedro requested to leave Barcelona with a transfer to Manchester United nearly complete, the forward came off the bench to slam home the winner on a rebound following a Lionel Messi free kick in the 115th minute.

The dramatic late winner came after Messi had already scored on two free kicks for the first time in his career, and Sevilla had rallied back from three goals down in the second half.

Ever Banega had given Sevilla a surprise lead with a free kick of his in the third minute, but Messi quickly reversed the scoreline in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Luis Suarez drew a foul at the edge of the box and Messi placed his free kick over the wall to equalise in the seventh minute.

Messi's second goal was impressive as he curled the ball in from 30 yards to beat Sevilla goalkeeper Beto into the top corner in the 15th minute.

Barcelona added a third goal just before half-time when Suarez broke away free on goal but had his shot saved by Beto. Suarez then collected the ball and crossed to Rafinha, who started in place of Neymar, to tap home.

Suarez found the net himself after being played through by Sergio Busquets in the 52nd minute to make it 4-1 but Sevilla were not finished.

Jose Antonio Reyes responded five minutes later by redirecting a Vitolo cross, and Kevin Gameiro closed the deficit to one with a penalty in the 72nd minute after Jeremy Mathieu hauled down Vitolo.

Sevilla kept pushing and found the equaliser nine minutes from time when Ciro Immobile slipped a low cross through Barcelona's defence for Yevhen Konoplyanka to score.

Pedro's winner came as Messi was lining up another free kick, which initially rebounded off the wall and came back to Messi, whose second shot was saved by Beto, only for Pedro to put the ball in the roof of the net.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Athletic Bilbao 4 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona stunned 4-0 by Athletic Bilbao in first leg of Super Cup

1st Leg

Barcelona's hopes of claiming a record-equalling six trophies in 2015 look to be in tatters after they were thrashed 4-0 by brilliant Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, with Aritz Aduriz netting a hat trick.

Barca made it four trophies from four on Tuesday night when they beat Sevilla 5-4 after extra time to win a thrilling UEFA Super Cup, but they were brought crashing back to earth at San Mames in stunning style on Friday night.

Mikel San Jose's breathtaking goal from inside the centre circle gave Athletic a half-time lead and then Aduriz scored three times in 15 second-half minutes to all but settle the Supercopa ahead of Monday's return leg at the Camp Nou.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 1 Athletic Bilbao : Athletic Bilbao manage draw at Barcelona to win Spanish Super Cup

2nd Leg (Athletic Bilbao wins 5-1 on agg)

Barcelona's hopes for a remarkable comeback were not to be as Athletic Bilbao managed a 1-1 draw to win the Spanish Super Cup 5-1 on aggregate.

Athletic's shock 4-0 win in Friday's first leg had given the Basque club a comfortable advantage, but Luis Enrique's men remained confident they could turn it around at Camp Nou on Monday.

But despite Lionel Messi's opening goal before half-time, a red card to Gerard Pique put the comeback in doubt and Aritz Aduriz's close-range finish sealed a famous result for Athletic.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Athletic Bilbao 0 - 1 Barcelona : Messi misses penalty as Barcelona edge past Athletic Bilbao

Barcelona began their Primera Division title defence with a 1-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao -- despite Lionel Messi missing a first-half penalty.

The fixture was the third in succession between the two teams after Athletic had embarrassed Barca 5-1 on aggregate in the Spanish Super Cup.

However, unlike nine days ago, when the hosts won 4-0 at San Mames, reigning Spanish and European champions Barca were far less erratic and, crucially, through Luis Suarez, scored the game's only goal.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Malaga : Thomas Vermaelen scores as Barcelona win in Neymar's return

Thomas Vermaelen was the unlikely hero as Barcelona laboured to a 1-0 win over Malaga to maintain their 100 percent start to the Primera Division season.

The former Arsenal defender smashed in the only goal of the game with 17 minutes remaining at the Camp Nou, just when Barca looked set to draw a blank against Javi Gracia's dogged outfit for the third successive game.

Cameroonian goalkeeper Carlos Kameni made a string of vital saves in the second half but could only palm Luis Suarez's cross from the left towards the penalty spot, where Vermaelan was waiting to lash into the empty net and score his first goal for the Catalan club in only his third league start since joining over a year ago.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Atletico Madrid 1 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi completes Barcelona comeback

Lionel Messi came off the substitutes' bench for Barcelona to secure a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

Messi, who celebrated the birth of his second son on Friday, did not start the game but replaced Ivan Rakitic on the hour mark and proved the difference.

Fernando Torres was presented with a chance to open the scoring for Atletico Madrid early in the first half but the former Chelsea striker sliced his left-footed shot wide.

Luis Suarez then went close for the visitors as his shot from close range hit the crossbar but the first half at the Vicente Calderon remained goalless.

Torres did break the deadlock six minutes into the second half as he raced on to Tiago's through ball before guiding the ball home in off the foot of the post.

But Barcelona hit back swiftly when Neymar curled in a fantastic free kick that left goalkeeper Jan Oblak with no chance.

And the comeback was complete as Messi latched on to Suarez's wonderful lay-off before dinking into the net.

The victory for Luis Enrique's Barcelona maintained their 100 percent start to the campaign.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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AS Roma 1 - 1 Barcelona : Alessandro Florenzi scores wonder goal as Roma and Barcelona draw

Champions League holders Barcelona saw their perfect start to the season ended after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in Wednesday's Group E opener.

Luis Suarez gave Barca a 21st-minute lead but Roma equalised eight minutes later with a wonder goal from defender Alessandro Florenzi.

Florenzi drilled a right-footed shot from just over the halfway line and the ball cannoned into the back of the net off a post.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 1 Levante : Lionel Messi scores twice as Barcelona ease past Levante

Barcelona kept their place at the top of the Primera Division and maintained their 100 percent start to the season by beating Levante 4-1 at the Nou Camp.

The visitors managed to keep the Spanish champions at bay until half-time, but Marc Bartra soon broke the deadlock before a double from Lionel Messi and a goal from Neymar increased Barca's advantage, while Victor Casadesus netted a consolation for Levante.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Celta Vigo 4 - 1 Barcelona : Iago Aspas nets brace as Celta Vigo hand Barcelona first La Liga loss

Celta Vigo handed Barcelona their first loss of the La Liga campaign and leapfrogged them in the table with an emphatic 4-1 defeat of the defending champs at the Estadio Balaidos on Wednesday.

The result was Barcelona's worst La Liga defeat in 273 games, since May 7, 2008 at Real Madrid. It also snapped Barca's 18-game La Liga unbeaten streak.

Former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas struck twice as unbeaten Celta Vigo shattered Barcelona's 100 percent start.

Ex-Barca youngster Nolito also continued his fine start to the season with a stunning opener and substitute John Guidetti struck for rampant Celta after Neymar had claimed a consolation.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 1 Las Palmas : Lionel Messi injured as Barcelona beat Las Palmas with Suarez brace

An injury to Lionel Messi overshadowed Barcelona's 2-1 win over Las Palmas as the Argentina forward was ruled out for up to eight weeks with a torn ligament in his knee.

Luis Suarez's double was enough for Barca to pick up the win, but they were more concerned with the well-being of their inspirational frontman, who lasted only nine minutes of the match before suffering the injury in a clash with Pedro Bigas.

While Messi was taken to hospital for tests, Suarez struck twice and might have had a hat-trick before Jonathan Viera's deflected goal late on set up a nervy finish.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 1 Bayer Leverkusen : Luis Suarez rallies Barcelona to win

Late goals from Sergi Roberto and Luis Suarez saved Barcelona's blushes and earned them a valuable win over visitors Bayer Leverkusen in Champions League Group E.

Kyriakos Papadopoulos fired the Germans ahead with a 22nd minute header and the hosts struggled to assert their authority until two goals in 92 seconds finally turned the tide inside the final 10 minutes.

Sergi followed up an initial effort from substitute El Haddani Munir to bundle Barcelona level in the in the 80th minute and then Munir turned provider again to set up Suarez who lashed a right-foot shot into the roof of the net.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Sevilla 2 - 1 Barcelona : Barcelona beaten at Sevilla as they feel the absence of Lionel Messi

Barcelona lost their first Primera Division match since Lionel Messi's injury as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Sevilla in a riveting game at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Michael Krohn-Delhi gave the hosts the lead after 52 minutes and Vicente Iborra increased the advantage six minutes later, capitalising on awful defending from the Catalans.

Neymar pulled one back for Luis Enrique's side but, despite dominating the latter stages and hitting the woodwork three times over the course of the game, the champions could not find an equaliser and fell to a second straight away defeat.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 2 Rayo Vallecano : Neymar finds the net four times

Neymar rose to the challenge of stepping into the absent Lionel Messi's boots by scoring four times as Barcelona overcame Rayo Vallecano 5-2 at the Nou Camp.

The visitors took a shock lead on 14 minutes through Javi Guerra, but Neymar turned the game on its head by winning and scoring two penalties before half-time.

Rayo squandered a couple of chances to level in the second half and were made to pay by the Brazilian, who scored twice more in the space of a minute and then laid on a classy cross for Luis Suarez to score the fifth. Rayo's Jozabed hit a late consolation goal but it was very much Neymar's night.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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BATE Borisov 0 - 2 Barcelona : Ivan Rakitic comes off bench to guide Barcelona to victory

Barcelona strengthened their position at the top of Champions League Group E as a brace from substitute Ivan Rakitic steered them to a comfortable 2-0 win at BATE Borisov.

After dominating the first half without being able to finish off any of the string of chances they created, the defending champions broke the deadlock in the 48th minute when Rakitic blasted a shot past Syarhey Chernik from Neymar's tee-up.

The Barca pair then combined again in the 65th minute, Rakitic receiving Neymar's pass and producing a cool finish to seal the victory.

It leaves the leaders with seven points from three games and with a place in the next round looking ever-more secure, while BATE stay third in the pool with three points.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Eibar : Luis Suarez scores three for Barcelona, Neymar with two assists

Luis Suarez scored a hat trick as Barcelona came from behind to beat Eibar 3-1 and join Real Madrid at the top of the Primera Division.

The Basque minnows took a shock lead after just eight minutes through in-form Atletico Madrid loanee Borja Baston, but Suarez levelled midway through the first half.

The Uruguay international struck at the beginning and end of the second period to complete his treble and seal the three points for Barca, who had Javier Mascherano sent off as Eibar suffered their first away defeat of the season.

Luis Enrique's men share the league's summit with Madrid on 21 points thanks to the win, although they have an inferior goal difference.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Villanovense 0 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona held to scoreless draw by third-tier minnows

1st Leg

Barcelona were held to a scoreless draw by third-tier Villanovense on Wednesday in a disappointing start to the Copa del Rey for the defending champion.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique rested regular starters and instead played reserves.

Barcelona struggled to create many opportunities and it was Villanovense which came closest to opening the score when defender Javi Sanchez struck the crossbar with a close-range shot off a corner in the 42nd minute.

Barcelona had good chances near the end but was not able to capitalize on them.

The return cup match is Dec. 2 at Camp Nou.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Getafe 0 - 2 Barcelona : Luis Suarez, Neymar on target as Barcelona keep pace with Real Madrid

Barcelona produced a professional if not sensational performance to beat Getafe 2-0 away from home to keep the pace with Real Madrid at the top of the Primera Division.

The Catalans were frustrated by a tight Getafe defence for most of the first half but they found their way through on 38 minutes when Luis Suarez scored from close range following a stylish back heel by Sergi Roberto.

The Catalan midfielder also engineered Barca's second goal, a volley from Neymar on 58 minutes that ensured Luis Enrique's side left Madrid with the three points.

Although Barca failed to produce a top-class performance, they were always in control and a win was no more than they needed following their disappointing goalless draw against Villanovense in the Copa del Rey in mid-week, and it sees them move on to 24 points, level with Madrid at the league's summit.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 BATE Borisov : Barcelona beat BATE Borisov as Neymar scores two and adds an assist

Neymar struck twice as Barcelona moved ever closer towards a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 3-0 win over Group E rivals BATE Borisov.

The Brazilian forward put Barca ahead in the 30th minute from the penalty spot after substitute Munir El Haddidi went down in the area following contact from Filip Mladenovic.

The hosts almost doubled their lead five minutes later but Adriano's strike rattled the left post.

Luis Suarez made it 2-0 on the hour and was unlucky not to add another when his 68th-minute shot hit the post.

Neymar put the game beyond BATE's reach when he scored his second to earn the title holders their third successive win in the competition.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Villarreal : Neymar and Luis Suarez strike again as Barcelona beat Villarreal to top La Liga

Neymar and Luis Suarez continued their fine goal-scoring form for Barcelona as Luis Enrique's side provisionally moved top of La Liga with a hard-fought 3-0 win over Villarreal at the Camp Nou on Sunday.

The Brazil captain broke a determined Villarreal defence after a fine Sergio Busquets pass on the hour, Suarez netted from the penalty spot 10 minutes later before Neymar hit a goal-of-the-season contender with a stunning turn and volley five minutes from time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Madrid 0 - 4 Barcelona : Neymar, Luis Suarez star in Clasico

Neymar and Luis Suarez continued their superb scoring run to shock Real Madrid and send Barcelona on their way to a 4-0 Clasico thrashing at the Bernabeu.

Lionel Messi was only fit enough for the Barca bench after returning from nearly two months on the sidelines with a knee injury, but Neymar and Suarez carried on their fine form with first-half strikes before Andres Iniesta and Suarez added two more after the break.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 6 - 1 AS Roma : Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both score twice as Barcelona rout Roma

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar tore Roma to shreds as Barcelona heralded their Champions League glory march with a 6-1 thumping at the Camp Nou.

Messi's return after two months of injury restored Europe's most devastating attacking trio, with the Argentina forward scoring twice.

Suarez grabbed a brace of his own, with Gerard Pique and Adriano also on target as Barcelona secured top spot in Group E and a place in the last 16.

Though Neymar missed a late penalty, the Brazil striker had a hand in the two opening goals and looked threatening throughout.

Edin Dzeko had a penalty saved too, and that after heading wide from 10 yards with the game goalless, as Roma endured a night to forget.

The on-loan Manchester City striker grabbed the final word with a goal in stoppage time, but by then the visitors had long since been swept aside.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 0 Real Sociedad : Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi fire Barelona to victory

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all netted as Barcelona eased to a 4-0 win over Real Sociedad, keeping them in the driving seat at the top of the Primera Division.

The Catalans had a lot to live up to after thrashing arch rivals Real Madrid 4-0 at the Bernabeu last weekend and then blitzing Roma 6-1 on Tuesday.

They did not disappoint, taking the lead midway through the first half through Neymar.

Suarez doubled their advantage a few minutes before half-time with a crashing volley and after the break Neymar struck again.

The Brazil forward laid the ball on for Messi to round off the victory, adding late gloss to a win that cements Barca's place at the top of the league, nine points clear of Madrid, who face Eibar on Sunday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)[/QUOTE]

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Barcelona 6 - 1 Villanovense : Sandro hat trick as Barcelona crush Villanovense

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 6-1 on agg)

Sandro Ramirez helped himself to a hat-trick as Barcelona cruised into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey with a 6-1 win over Segunda B strugglers Villanovense at the Nou Camp.

Luis Enrique's men had been held to a goalless draw in the first leg at the end of last month but despite making eight changes from the win over Real Sociedad on Saturday, they made no mistake second time round.

Villanovense went into the game on the back of five straight league losses since their heroic first leg performance, and the gulf in class was apparent from the moment Dani Alves fired home from outside the box with four minutes gone.

Munir bent a shot just wide before a dreadful error by visiting keeper Jose Fuentes allowed Ramirez in to grab his opening goal in the 20th minute.

Remarkably the visitors briefly reduced the deficit eight minutes later when Juanfran fired a superb finish past Barcelona's third keeper Jordi Masip, but normal service was soon resumed.

Within three minutes Aitor had sent through Ramirez for his second, and six minutes into the second half it was finally Munir's turn to get his name on the scoresheet when he drifted into the box to head home a Mathieu cross.

The one-sided nature of the night continued with Munir bringing a brilliant save out of Fuentes before Ramirez completed his hat-trick after 70 minutes following good work by Adriano.

And there was also time for Munir to grab his second when Ramirez turned provider, beating the visitors' defence and tricking Fuentes with an audacious back-heel to serve his teammate the simplest of chances.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Valencia 1 - 1 Barcelona : Gary Neville watches Valencia draw vs. Barcelona with dramatic equaliser

Gary Neville watched from the stands as Valencia survived a Barcelona onslaught to claim a 1-1 draw.

Luis Suarez thought he had given the leaders three points when he struck just before the hour mark, but Santiago Mina grabbed a shock equaliser five minutes from time.

Former Manchester United and England defender Neville officially takes over at the Mestalla next week, with caretaker Salvador Voro in charge against Barca alongside Phil Neville.

His new side somehow came through a one-sided first half all-square, and after Suarez finally found a way through they managed to hit back for a point.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Bayer Leverkusen 1 - 1 Barcelona : Bayer Leverkusen draw with Barcelona, eliminated from Champions League

Bayer Leverkusen could not find a winner against Barcelona as their final Champions League Group E match ended 1-1, which saw the German side fail to qualify for the last 16 and drop into the Europa League.

Leverkusen, who had not won in Europe since matchday one, could have made it through if they bettered Roma's result against BATE Borisov.

However, despite the Italians being held to a goalless draw, the Bundesliga side could not conjure up a winner, despite having plenty of chances in the second half.

Barcelona, who were already through as group winners, went ahead on 20 minutes through Lionel Messi, only for the in-form Javier Hernandez to soon equalise.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen was kept busy in the Barca goal, but Leverkusen failed to fashion a second goal, and finished third with six points behind Roma on head-to-head record.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 2 Deportivo La Coruna : Barcelona held by Deportivo La Coruna as Lucas fires comeback

Barcelona threw away a two-goal lead against Deportivo La Coruna to draw 2-2 at the Nou Camp, dropping two vital points that could see them surrender their place at the top of the Primera Division by the end of the weekend.

A wonderful Lionel Messi free-kick saw Barca take the lead towards the end of a difficult first half and then a pile-driver from Ivan Rakitic around the hour mark looked to have sealed the points.

But, just as they did on the final day of last season to avoid relegation, Depor crept back into the game to earn a point. First Lucas Perez cut the deficit in half and then the in-form Spaniard laid the ball on for Alex Bergantinos to smash past Claudio Bravo and level, inflicting a third consecutive draw on Barcelona.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Guangzhou Evergrande : Barcelona beat Guangzhou Evergrande in Club World Cup

Barcelona eased into Sunday's Club World Cup final as Luis Suarez scored a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Guangzhou Evergrande.

Barca saw Lionel Messi ruled out shortly before the match with renal colic while Neymar, who has just recovered from a groin injury, also played no part, but Luis Enrique's European champions enjoyed a comfortable win.

"Suarez was spectacular,'' Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. "He is very talented in difficult situations and knows what to do in those situations. We had some injuries to deal with so we had to adjust and he stepped up."

Suarez put Barcelona ahead just before half-time, hammering in a rebound off Ivan Rakitic's long-range effort that was parried by goalkeeper Li Shuai.

The striker made it 2-0 five minutes after the break when he controlled a pass from Andres Iniesta off his chest and beat Li with a brilliant right-footed volley.

He put the result beyond doubt with a penalty kick after Huang Bowen took Munir El Haddadi down in the area. That strike made the Uruguayan the first player to score a hat trick in the competition since Pele netted three for Santos against Benfica in 1962's Intercontinental Cup.

Barca will face Argentine side River Plate on Sunday as they look to become the first club to win the competition three times, having previously lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2011.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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River Plate 0 - 3 Barcelona : Barcelona beat River to win Club World Cup as Messi, Neymar, Suarez star

A goal from Lionel Messi and a double from Luis Suarez saw Barcelona beat River Plate 3-0 in Yokohama, Japan, to win the FIFA Club World Cup and cap a triumphant 2015 for the Catalan club on Sunday.

Messi opened the scoring 10 minutes before the end of a difficult first half for Barcelona, who were tested by River's intensity, but the European champions struck again early in the second period through Suarez, and the Uruguayan sealed their third world title by heading home a cross from Neymar.

Barcelona are the first team to win the trophy three times, surpassing the two titles won by Corinthians, while Messi, Andres Iniesta, Dani Alves, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique become the only players to collect three winners' medals.

Barca end a stellar year in which they had already collected the Primera Division title, Champions League, Copa del Rey and UEFA Super Cup, with the only trophy they failed to win being the Spanish Super Cup.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 0 Real Betis : Lionel Messi on target on his 500th Barcelona appearance

Lionel Messi scored his 425th goal on his 500th Barcelona appearance to help his side to a 4-0 victory against Real Betis.

Luis Suarez and Neymar also shone as Barca signed off a memorable 2015 with a comfortable win that keeps them top of the Primera Division.

The Catalans took the lead after 29 minutes as Betis defender Heiko Westermann inadvertently sent the ball into his own net after Neymar had hit the crossbar from the penalty spot and moments later the Brazilian laid a pass on for Messi to score on a landmark appearance for the club.

Suarez added two further goals in the second half, while Neymar was unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet, hitting the woodwork for a second time later on.

Luis Enrique's side stay joint top of the Primera Division with Atletico Madrid heading into 2016 but have played one game fewer than Diego Simeone's men.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Espanyol 0 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona draw blank as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar fail to score

Barcelona struck the woodwork twice but were unable to make a winning start to 2016 as they were held to a goalless draw at local rivals Espanyol.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez each hit the frame of the goal for Barca but otherwise the reigning European and Spanish champions produced few moments to savour against their determined rivals as the spoils were shared.

Espanyol struggled to create too many openings themselves but were more than worthy of the draw and become only the fifth team to take points off Barcelona this season in the league.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 1 Espanyol : Lionel Messi leads Barcelona to easy win over Espanyol

(1st Leg)

Barcelona secured a comfortable 4-1 win over nine-man Espanyol in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round-of-16 clash at the Nou Camp.

Espanyol took an early lead through former Manchester City forward Felipe Caicedo but Barcelona replied thanks to Lionel Messi's first-half brace.

The Argentine talisman turned provider as he set-up Gerard Pique to put the hosts 3-1 up and Neymar added a late fourth to give Barcelona a commanding first-leg lead.

In a fiery encounter, referee Juan Martinez Munuera dished out 11 yellow cards and two red cards as both sides looked to claim bragging rights in the Catalan derby.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 0 Granada : Lionel Messi records his first hat trick of season to help Barcelona cruise

Lionel Messi warmed up for Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony by scoring his first hat-trick in 10 months as Barcelona eased to a 4-0 win over Granada to return to the top of the Primera Division.

The Argentine netted twice in the opening quarter of an hour and completed his treble after the break, pouncing after Neymar had hit the post, but the Brazilian was able to get on the scoresheet late on to complete the rout.

Luis Enrique's side go one point ahead of Atletico Madrid at the league's summit, though the Rojiblancos can leap above them again when they face Celta Vigo on Sunday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Espanyol 0 - 2 Barcelona : Barcelona advance past Espanyol in Copa del Rey with two El Haddadi goals

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 6-1 on agg)

Munir El Haddadi scored both of Barcelona's goals as they recorded a 2-0 win at Espanyol to cruise through in the Copa del Rey.

Holding a 4-1 first-leg advantage from an ill-tempered clash at the Nou Camp seven days ago, Barca, who were without banned forward Luis Suarez, were never troubled by their cross-city rivals.

Their hero on the night was 20-year-old forward Munir, who doubled his tally for the season and for this competition with goals in either half as Luis Enrique's side marched on with a 6-1 aggregate victory.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 6 - 0 Athletic Bilbao : Luis Suarez nets hat trick as Barcelona thrash 10-man Athletic Bilbao

Luis Suarez scored his second hat trick of the season as Barcelona obliterated 10-man Athletic Bilbao 6-0 at the Camp Nou.

Lionel Messi scored the opening goal from the penalty spot with just seven minutes gone after Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz was sent off for bringing down Suarez, but the Argentina star was surprisingly taken off at half-time with a suspected hamstring problem.

Neymar added a second for Barca before the break, leaving Suarez to net three times in 35 minutes in the second half, while Ivan Rakitic also got on the scoresheet.

Barca move on to 45 points from 19 games but still trail Primera Division leaders Atletico Madrid by two points, although they have a game in hand.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Athletic Bilbao 1 - 2 Barcelona : Neymar scores as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao in Copa del Rey

1st Leg

Barcelona claimed their second victory over Athletic Bilbao inside four days and took a step towards the Copa del Rey semifinals after a 2-1 win at San Memes.

The Catalan giants were without two of their much-vaunted trio, with Lionel Messi injured and Luis Suarez suspended, but the third of the triumvirate Neymar netted the visitors' second goal after 24 minutes of this quarter-final first-leg tie.

Six minutes earlier, Munir El Haddadi opened the scoring after a wonderful assist from the influential Ivan Rakitic although Bilbao, who were thrashed 6-0 in the Primera Division meeting at the weekend, pulled one back in the closing stages through Aritz Aduriz ahead of next Wednesday's second leg.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Malaga 1 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi goal sends Barcelona top of La Liga with Malaga win

Lionel Messi scored a wonderful volley to give Barcelona a 2-1 win at Malaga and hand the Catalans three points.

Javi Gracia's men have given Barcelona a rough ride during the four times they have met in the last two seasons and they will probably feel they should have taken at least a point from this game.

Munir El Haddadi had given Barca the lead in the second minute but Juanpi netted the hosts a deserved equaliser eight minutes before the break, only for Messi to restore Barca's lead early in the second half and temporarily take them top of the Primera Division.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Athletic Bilbao : Suarez secures Barcelona's passage into Copa del Rey semifinals

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 5-2 on agg)

Luis Suarez struck his 30th goal of the season as Barcelona secured their passage to the Copa del Rey semi-final with a 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao.

Barcelona extended their unbeaten streak to 25 games but it was not without a fright as Bilbao, trailing 2-1 from the quarter-final first leg at San Mames, had the audacity to level the tie.

Bilbao were ahead on the night after 12 minutes when Aritz Aduriz set up Inaki Williams' 11th goal of the season.

The Nou Camp almost fell silent again five minutes later when Williams fired narrowly over the bar after a driving run through the heart of the home defence.

And Bilbao continued to have the better of the first half chances with Mikel San Jose forcing a save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Barcelona goal.

Barcelona threatened little danger until Lionel Messi and Neymar went close before the break, but it was a different story on the re-start as the hosts found their familiar scoring touch.

Messi set up Suarez's equaliser after 53 minutes and Bilbao were left to rue Javi Eraso's failure to beat ter Stegen from close range as Barcelona piled on the pressure.

Gerard Pique saw his header saved by Iago Herrerin in the Bilbao goal after good work by Neymar and Ivan Rakitic was also foiled after an excellent team move with Suarez providing the final through ball.

But Barcelona were rewarded when Pique headed home a Dani Alves corner nine minutes from time to put them ahead on the night.

And with Bilbao tiring in the closing stages, Neymar added another in injury time from Sergi Roberto's clever pass.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 1 Atletico Madrid : Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez fire Barcelona past nine-man Atletico

Goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez fired Barcelona to a priceless 2-1 win over nine-man Atletico Madrid to strike a huge blow in the Primera Division title race.

Atletico got off to a fine start at the Nou Camp as Koke gave them the lead after just 10 minutes but Messi and Suarez each struck in the space of eight minutes to turn the game around before the break.

The balance of the table-top showdown then further tipped in Barca's favour when Atletico defenders Filipe Luis and Diego Godin were sent off, and a frustrating afternoon for Diego Simeone's side was later compounded as Augusto Fernandez was stretchered off with a suspected knee injury.

The result sees the Catalan side move three points above their nearest challengers at the top of the table thanks to their fifth straight win over Atletico, and Luis Enrique's men still boast a game in hand.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 7 - 0 Valencia : Barcelona ease past Valencia as Suarez scores four and Messi nets hat trick

1st Leg

Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi both scored hat-tricks as Barcelona demolished 10-man Valencia 7-0 in their semifinal first leg at the Camp Nou.

Suarez bagged an early brace before Messi scored twice either side of the interval to take his career tally to 500 goals. Neymar missed a penalty in a one-sided first-half, but Messi completed his hat trick late on.

The Uruguayan then headed in his third before claiming a fourth in the closing stages as the cup holders heaped more pressure on Los Che manager Gary Neville.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Levante 0 - 2 Barcelona : Luis Suarez seals unconvincing win for Barcelona

Barcelona were not at their best but still managed to claim a 2-0 win over Levante to put pressure on La Liga rivals Real Madrid.

Luis Enrique's table-topping side are three points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid and seven ahead of Real, who take on Granada later on Sunday.

Barca took the lead in the 21st minute when Jordi Alba's cross from the left deflected in off Levante defender David Navarro.

Bottom-of-the-table Levante hit the post through Morales but were unable to find a leveller against the visitors.

And in the final seconds Luis Suarez was set clear and kept his cool in front of goal with a smart finish to seal all three points.

The result ensured Barca tied their all-time record of 28 consecutive games without losing, matching the unbeaten streak set by Pep Guardiola's team in the 2010-11 season.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Valencia 1 - 1 Barcelona : Barcelona draw with Valencia, set club record at 29 matches without a loss

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 8-1 on agg)

Gary Neville experienced yet more frustration as a late goal from teenager Wilfrid Kaptoum denied Valencia a much-needed win over Barcelona's reserves in the Copa del Rey.

The win ran Barcelona's unbeaten run to 29 matches, a new club record surpassing the one set by the 2010-11 team, coached by Pep Guardiola.

Alvaro Negredo put Neville's team on course for their first win over Barca in eight years with his sixth goal of 2016.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[xxxdreamer]

Barcelona vs Celta Vigo Highlights


https://vid.me/GkeD

[JoseMourinho]

Barcelona vs Celta Vigo Highlights


https://vid.me/GkeD

Penalty of the decade by Messi and Suarez.

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Barcelona 6 - 1 Celta Vigo : Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez spot-on as rampant Barca hammer Celta Vigo

Luis Suarez finished off a collector's item from the penalty spot to score a hat trick as Barcelona hammered Celta Vigo 6-1 with a majestic second-half display.

The Uruguayan side-footed home after Lionel Messi nudged the ball into his path from the penalty spot.

Messi netted his 299th league goal for the Catalans with a brilliant free kick on 28 minutes, but his effort was cancelled out 10 minutes later by John Guidetti's penalty.

Messi then provided a sumptuous assist for Suarez to restore Barca's lead just before the hour mark before setting him up again from the spot. The Uruguayan striker returned to the top of the Primera Division scoring charts thanks to his hat trick, moving on to 25 goals and overtaking Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

There was still time for more goals, Ivan Rakitic and Neymar completing the rout late on.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Sporting Gijon 1 - 3 Barcelona : Lionel Messi brace sees Barcelona beat Sporting Gijon and go six clear

Lionel Messi passed 300 Primera Division goals as Barcelona extended their lead at the top to six points with a 3-1 victory over Sporting Gijon.

It took Messi just 25 minutes to reach the landmark, and six minutes later he made it 301, with Luis Suarez putting a missed penalty behind him to add the third in the 67th minute.

Gijon had briefly levelled matters through Carlos Castro and gave a good account of themselves, with goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar producing several good saves, including from Suarez's spot-kick.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Las Palmas 1 - 2 Barcelona : Neymar and Luis Suarez score

Barcelona survived a late onslaught to beat Las Palmas and remain in the driving seat at the top of the Primera Division.

Luis Suarez opened the scoring within just five minutes of kick-off, finishing off a wonderful one-touch move involving Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba, but just moments later Willian Jose levelled for the struggling hosts.

Neymar restored Barca's lead shortly before half-time, but Las Palmas kept their heads up and missed four chances to prevent the visitors running out 2-1 winners.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Arsenal 0 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi scores twice as Barcelona beat Arsenal in Champions League

1st Leg

Barcelona took the advantage over Arsenal in their round of 16 clash at the Emirates on Tuesday night as they won 2-0 thanks to two goals from Lionel Messi.

Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 71st minute as Arsenal committed too many men upfield and Neymar, Suarez and Messi broke. Neymar broke free, squared for Messi who waited for Cech to dive before flicking the ball over him and into the net.

Barcelona could have doubled their lead as they broke ahead again, but when Neymar's effort was blocked it fell to Suarez who hit the post with his effort.

Messi, however, put the game beyond doubt as he slotted home a penalty. Just minutes after coming on as a substitute, Mathieu Flamini brought down the Argentine in the box and he picked himself up to coolly slot home.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 1 Sevilla : Barcelona equal Spanish record of 34 games unbeaten with Sevilla victory

Goals from Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique saw Barcelona come from behind to beat Sevilla 2-1 at the Nou Camp and equal a Spanish record of 34 games without defeat in all competitions.

The visitors took the lead through Vitolo's volley but a superb free kick from Messi levelled the scores on the half-hour mark, and the Argentine then laid on a pass to Luis Suarez who found Pique to put the Catalans in charge early in the second half.

Although Sevilla continued to cause Barca problems, they held on to stay eight points ahead of Atletico Madrid at the top of the Primera Division as well as drawing level with the unbeaten record set by Leo Beenhakker's Real Madrid side in 1989.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Rayo Vallecano 1 - 5 Barcelona : Lionel Messi nets hat trick as Barca win at 9-man Rayo Vallecano

Lionel Messi scored a third hat trick of the season as Barcelona smashed nine-man Rayo Vallecano 5-1 and recorded a tenth straight league win.

Ivan Rakitic took advantage of a goalkeeping clanger by Juan Carlos to break the deadlock midway through the first half, and moments later Messi combined with Neymar to side foot into the bottom corner and consolidate Barca's lead, while Diego Llorente made things even harder for Rayo by getting sent off before half-time for a rash challenge on Rakitic.

Messi grabbed Barca's third early in the second half by pouncing on a loose ball when Luis Suarez hit a post, and then the Argentine completed his treble after Manucho had pulled one back for the hosts and Suarez had missed a penalty, which lead to Manuel Iturra being sent off for Rayo.

Arda Turan put the final nail in the coffin for Paco Jemez's side as the final whistle approached.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Eibar 0 - 4 Barcelona : Lionel Messi scores twice as Barcelona hammer Eibar

A mesmeric performance from Lionel Messi ensured Barcelona barely noticed the absence of Neymar as they eased to a 4-0 win at Eibar.

The Brazilian was suspended for the trip to a rain- and wind-swept Ipurua but his replacement Munir El Haddadi opened the scoring after just eight minutes, finishing off a move started by a beautifully chipped pass by Messi.

The Argentina star then netted either side of the break, first with a sweeping low drive and then from the penalty spot, before Suarez completed the rout, netting for the first time in four matches.

It was the 100th goal scored by one of the the 'MSN' trident of Messi, Suarez and Neymar and completed an 11th straight league win which further strengthens Luis Enrique's side's bid to retain the Primera Division title.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[smoky7]

Next up Getafe and Arsenal, hope they can break the 100 points mark

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Barcelona 6 - 0 Getafe : Barcelona thrash Getafe as La Liga leaders edge closer to title

Lionel Messi created three goals and scored another as Barcelona warmed up for their Champions League showdown with Arsenal by thrashing Getafe 6-0 at the Camp Nou to equal a club record 12 consecutive La Liga wins.

Messi missed a fourth penalty of the season after Juan Rodriguez's own goal had given the Catalans the lead after just eight minutes, but soon made amends by laying on goals for Munir El Haddadi and Neymar before he got on the scoresheet himself with a brilliant strike from 20 yards.

Messi got his third assist by teeing up Neymar's second after the break and then Arda Turan scored for the second time in three matches with an impressive bicycle kick.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Arsenal : Barcelona beat Arsenal to advance to Champions League quarterfinals

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 5-1 on agg)

Arsenal could not make the impossible possible on Wednesday night as Barcelona's renowned triumvirate all scored to knock the Gunners out of the Champions League at the Nou Camp.

Many did not give Arsene Wenger's men a prayer given Barcelona's 37-game unbeaten run heading into a contest in which the Gunners needed to score three times to go through.

They put up a spirited fight against a home side who, in truth, played the game largely in second gear and secured a 3-1 win courtesy of goals from Neymar, Lionel Messi and a sublime Luis Suarez volley -- taking the trio's combined goal tally to 106 for the season -- with Mohamed Elneny getting Arsenal on the scoresheet.

Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Villarreal 2 - 2 Barcelona : Barcelona lose two-goal lead to draw at Villarreal

Barcelona missed out on the chance to go 11 points clear at the top of the Primera Division as they squandered a two-goal advantage in a 2-2 draw at Villarreal.

Ivan Rakitic's half-volley and a classy "Panenka" penalty from Neymar had given Luis Enrique's side a comfortable lead before half-time.

But Villarreal fought back after the break, Cedric Bakambu halving the deficit before Jeremy Mathieu knocked the ball into his own net just moments after coming on as a substitute.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 1 - 2 Real Madrid : Cristiano Ronaldo scores late to give Real Madrid victory

Cristiano Ronaldo scored late as 10-man Real Madrid stunned Barcelona 2-1 on Saturday at the Camp Nou to win El Clasico and end their rivals' 39-game unbeaten streak.

Gerard Pique had given Barca the lead before Karim Benzema answered for Real, and though Sergio Ramos was sent off, Ronaldo found the winner soon afterward.

Barcelona's Primera Division lead over Atletico Madrid, who won earlier in the day, was trimmed to six points. Third-placed Real Madrid closed the gap behind Barca to seven points.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 1 Atletico Madrid : Luis Suarez nets brace as Barcelona beat Atletico, Fernando Torres sent off

(1st Leg)

Fernando Torres was sent off shortly after scoring as Barcelona came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 at Camp Nou in the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday night thanks to two goals from Luis Suarez.

Torres put Atletico ahead with a well taken goal in the 25th minute. Koke slipped the ball down the middle and Torres burst through the gap to slot between goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen's legs for a vital away goal.

However, the game took a turn in the 36th minute as Torres picked up his second yellow card and was sent off. Having landed a first for a pull on Neymar just four minutes after scoring, the Spaniard then clattered in late on Sergio Busquets six minutes later to receive his marching orders.

With Atletico pushing 10 men back, even inside their own area at times, the Brazilian tried to take advantage and cut inside to unleash a shot that skimmed just past the post. Minutes later, his decision not to shoot saw an equaliser arrive.

Neymar turned down a shot from a similar position, chose to pass on the edge of the box for Alves to cross and the right-back's effort was hit back across the box by Alba, where it was stabbed home at close range by Suarez in the 63rd minute.

Alves was at the centre of things again as Suarez netted his 45th goal in 45 games this season to put Barcelona 2-1 up just 11 minutes later. Neat interplay saw the ball find Alves on the right and his cross was met by Suarez, who headed firmly past Oblak and into the net.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Real Sociedad 1 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona stumble to defeat at Real Sociedad as La Liga lead shrinks

An early goal from teenager Mikel Oyarzabal saw Real Sociedad beat Barcelona 1-0 and blow the Primera Division race wide open.

The 18-year-old headed in the only goal of the game in the fifth minute and the hosts held on to claim a fifth consecutive home win over Barcelona, who have still not won at Anoeta since 2007.

The surprise defeat comes a week after the 2-1 loss to Real Madrid and Barca have now gone three games without a league win, their longest stretch without victory under Luis Enrique.

Barca remain top of the table but are now just three points above Atletico Madrid and four clear of Real Madrid, although they have a superior head-to-head record against both sides, having led the league by nine points eight days ago.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Atletico Madrid 2 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona fall to Atletico Madrid, crash out of Champions League

(2nd Leg, Atletico wins 3-2 on agg)

Holders Barcelona are out of the Champions League after Antoine Griezmann's brace sent Atletico Madrid through to semifinals with a 2-0 quarterfinal second-leg victory.

After returning from the Nou Camp with a 2-1 first-leg deficit last week, Griezmann headed home in the 36th minute and then struck a late penalty to give Diego Simone's men a famous 3-2 aggregate win, sending them to the last four of the Champions League for just the second time.

Barcelona, who have now lost three of their last four games in all competitions as their season looks in danger of imploding, piled the pressure on in the final 20 minutes, but were unable to make the breakthrough which would have sent the game to extra time, meaning they bow out of this competition in the last eight to Atletico for the second time in three seasons.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 1 - 2 Valencia : Barcelona title hopes dealt another blow in home loss

Barcelona's title ambitions were dealt a further blow as they were beaten 2-1 at home by Valencia, suffering a third consecutive league defeat for the first time since 2003.

An own goal by Ivan Rakitic gave Valencia a shock lead on 27 minutes and Santi Mina doubled their advantage just before the break.

Lionel Messi scored his 500th career goal for club and country to reduce the deficit midway through the second half, but was unable to inspire a comeback.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Deportivo La Coruna 0 - 8 Barcelona : Luis Suarez nets four as Barcelona snap three-match La Liga losing streak

Barcelona restated their title ambitions by thrashing Deportivo La Coruna 8-0 away from home, with Luis Suarez scoring four times and contributing three assists as they showed no mercy.

The Uruguayan scored twice in the first half and Ivan Rakitic grabbed the third early in the second half, before Suarez quickly doubled his tally. Lionel Messi had provided two assists for Suarez and finally got on the scoresheet by tapping home after a brilliant move by the Uruguayan, while defender Marc Bartra scored a brilliant individual goal before Neymar rounded off the scoring to end his goal drought.

Barca desperately needed a response in Galicia after losing three games in a row and letting Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid back into the title race.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 6 - 0 Sporting Gijon : Luis Suarez scores four as Barcelona cruise past Sporting Gijon to stay top

Luis Suarez scored four goals for the second game in a row and unseated Cristiano Ronaldo as Primera Division top scorer as Barcelona thumped 10-man Sporting Gijon 6-0 with the help of three penalties to further affirm their title ambitions.

Lionel Messi's looping header put Barca ahead on 12 minutes and Suarez doubled the lead from close range in the 64th. The Uruguayan then netted two penalties in the space of three minutes and allowed Neymar to convert the third spot kick before firing in his fourth goal in 26 minutes.

Suarez moved to 34 goals for the season, three more than Ronaldo, who was unavailable for Madrid this weekend with a thigh strain.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Real Betis 0 - 2 Barcelona :Lionel Messi's assists keep Barcelona atop La Liga table

Barcelona maintained their position at the Primera Division summit after second-half goals from Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez lifted them to a 2-0 win at 10-man Real Betis.

Rakitic made the most of a calamitous defensive error from the hosts to put Barca ahead early in the second half after Heiko Westerman was sent off for Betis for a second booking in quick succession.

The top-flight's leading scorer Suarez then grabbed a 35th league goal of the season, finishing off a sumptuous pass from Lionel Messi in the 81st minute.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[Europa]

Come support Euro 2016 here

https://www.sammyboyforum.nl/showthread.php?t=605440

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 5 - 0 Espanyol : Barcelona thrashed local rivals

Barcelona thrashed local rivals Espanyol 5-0 to move to within one win of a 24th Primera Division title.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a brilliant free-kick, while Luis Suarez scored twice in the second half to move onto 37 goals for the season, putting him in prime position to collect the Pichichi award for top scorer.

Rafinha delighted the home fans by netting his first goal since returning from a serious knee injury, and then Neymar rounded off the scoring by tapping in Suarez's low pass.

Barca stay top of La Liga by moving on to 88 points, one ahead of Real Madrid in second and three above Atletico Madrid, who drop out of the title race after losing 2-1 at Levante.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Granada 0 - 3 Barcelona : Luis Suarez fires Barcelona past Granada to secure La Liga title

Barcelona clinched their 24th Primera Division title as top scorer Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick to inspire them to a 3-0 win at Granada.

Suarez tapped home Jordi Alba's cutback in the 22nd minute to put Barca in charge and tightened their grip on the game and the title by heading home Dani Alves' cross in the 38th, before accepting a generous gift by Neymar to complete his treble late on.

A third hat-trick in five games rounded off the Uruguayan's most prolific season yet as he finished the season with 40 goals in 35 league games and became the first player aside from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to land the Primera Division's top scorer accolade since compatriot Diego Forlan in 2009.

Barca finish the season on 91 points, one ahead of Real Madrid, whose 12-game winning streak at the end of the season ultimately came too late to prevent the Catalans from retaining the title and collecting an eighth league trophy in 12 seasons.

http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article7970067.ece/ALTERNATES/s1227b/Granada-v-Barcelona.jpg

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[Logout]

Congratulations to Barcelona. Champions of La Liga 2015/2016.

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 2 - 0 Sevilla AET: Barcelona beat Sevilla in extra time with Jordi Alba, Neymar goals to win the Copa del Rey

(FT : 0 - 0)

Defending Copa del Rey champions Barcelona became the first team to retain the trophy since 1998 as they defeated Sevilla 2-0 after extra time in the final.

Barca were the last team to clinch back-to-back Copa del Reys, which they did under Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal's guidance, though they had to dig deep to make it a domestic double in 2016 having played for more than an hour with 10 men following Javier Mascherano's first-half dismissal.

The La Liga champions stood firm against the Europa League victors, who were back in action following Wednesday's win over Liverpool in Switzerland, and when Ever Banega's red card levelled up the numbers ahead of extra time, Barca had the staying power.

Lionel Messi's terrific vision led to Jordi Alba's first goal of the season in the 97th minute and the Argentine then teed up Neymar for a second after Daniel Carrico had also been sent off for two cautions.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[Barrister]

Thank you for sharing.

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 1 Celtic : Messi, Suarez start as Barcelona defeat Celtic in ICC friendly

Celtic were out-gunned but not out-classed as they fell to a 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in Dublin.

The Spanish giants named a strong starting XI that included superstar frontmen Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

And while the Parkhead outfit were undone by strikes from Arda Turan and Munir El Haddadi either side of Efe Ambrose's own goal, there was no humiliation for Brendan Rodgers' team.

They even briefly found themselves level midway through the first half when Leigh Griffiths gratefully snapped up a gift from the Barca defence.

But with the International Champions Cup knock-about now out of the way, Rodgers will turn his attention to the more serious business of seeing his side past Champions League qualifying opponents FC Astana.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 4 - 2 Leicester City : Munir leads Barcelona to win over Leicester in Stockholm

Munir El Haddadi scored twice and Barcelona held off a second-half rally from Leicester City to win 4-2 in the International Champions Cup on Wednesday in Stockholm.

Barcelona opened up a 3-0 half-time lead before an Ahmed Musa brace after the break brought the Premier League champions back in it, before 17-year-old Rafa Mujica scored for Barca to put the game to bed.

Munir opened the scoring in the 26th minute when he ran around Danny Simpson to receive a pass from Lionel Messi and slotted home.

Eight minutes later, Luis Suarez showed he was ready for the season to begin by evading both Robert Huth and Ben Chilwell before toe poking the ball into the back of the net.

And shortly before half-time, Suarez turned provider, putting a long ball onto the foot of Munir at the top of the box for the 20-year-old to make it 3-0.

But after Leicester made seven changes at the break, Musa got the Foxes on the scoresheet two minutes later following a spectacular run from the centre of the pitch.

And the gap got smaller when Jeffrey Schlupp dispossed Barcelona defender Camara and found Musa in the box for his second goal.

But Leicester could not find an equaliser and Mujica sealed matters by receving a low cross, spinning and shooting for Barcelona's fourth from 12 yards out.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Liverpool 4 - 0 Barcelona : Liverpool dominate Barcelona in ICC win at Wembley

Liverpool showed just how useful their work has been in Jurgen Klopp's first summer as manager with a ruthless 4-0 victory over European giants Barcelona in the International Champions Cup at Wembley on Saturday.

The Merseyside outfit were absolutely rampant in the capital as all of their goals came from pressing Luis Enrique's side -- featuring Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez -- into submission of the ball, which allowed for Sadio Mane, Divock Origi and Marko Grujic to get their names on the scoresheet, as well as forcing ex-Red Javier Mascherano to put into his own net.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Sevilla 0 - 2 Barcelona : Barcelona beat Sevilla in Super Cup first leg with Suarez, Munir goals

1st Leg

Luis Suarez was back in the goal-scoring routine as Barcelona claimed a Spanish Super Cup advantage with a 2-0 victory away to Sevilla.

Suarez, who scored 59 goals for Barca last season, opened his account for the new campaign early in the second half and substitute Munir added a second nine minutes from time.

The breakthrough came when substitute Denis Suarez picked out the run of Arda Turan with a delightful flighted pass and a controlled chest down from the Turkey international allowed the Uruguayan striker to pick his spot from 12 yards.

Barcelona were far better after the break and Munir scored with his first touch as he burst onto Lionel Messi's measured pass.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Sevilla : Arda Turan brace as Barcelona beat Sevilla to win Spanish Super Cup

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 5-0 on agg)

Arda Turan scored twice as Barcelona eased to a 3-0 second-leg win against Sevilla to secure the Spanish Super Cup by a 5-0 aggregate following Sunday's first leg.

An intricate build-up between Denis Suarez and Lionel Messi sprang Turan in the Sevilla penalty area where the Turkey international calmly slotted home a right-footed shot to open the scoring.

Just before half-time, Mariano found Gabriel Mercado on the left side of the penalty area, but his headed shot over Bravo was denied by the crossbar and Barcelona took a 1-0 lead into the dressing room.

Any chance Sevilla had of fighting back in the tie were squashed minutes into the second half when Turan curled a perfect first-time shot in from distance over Sergio Rico's head to make it 2-0.

Messi piled on the woe for Jorge Sampaoli's team in the 55th minute, leaping to meet a Lucas Digne cross and heading home to put Barcelona up by three goals.

Barcelona finished the match with 10 men after Javier Mascherano was forced off injured and Luis Enrique had already used all three of his substitutes.

The win means Luis Enrique has now won every trophy possible with Barcelona as manager.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 6 - 2 Real Betis : Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez sparkle as Barcelona score six

Luis Suarez was on target with a hat trick as Barcelona began their LaLiga title defence with a convincing 6-2 defeat of Real Betis.

Their pursuit of a third successive Spanish championship began in typically one-sided fashion. A goal from Arda Turan, two from Lionel Messi and Suarez's treble secured all three points from their opening league fixture of the 2016-17 season.

Betis' won a free kick, which Ruben Castro impressively curled into the top corner beyond Bravo's reach.

Castro added a further goal for Betis in the 84th minute, powerfully shooting beyond Bravo with another fine finish, but it was little more than a consolation for his well-beaten team.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Athletic Bilbao 0 - 1 Barcelona : Barcelona edge Athletic Bilbao with Rakitic header

Ivan Rakitic's firm header in the first half steered Barcelona to a 1-0 victory away to Athletic Bilbao as Luis Enrique's champions made it two wins from two in La Liga.

The Catalan giants are still without the talents of Neymar and Andres Iniesta, but still had enough quality to resist strong opposition from Athletic at San Mames.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 2 Alaves : Newly promoted Alaves stun Barcelona at Camp Nou

Barcelona slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat to Alaves as the champions' hopes of retaining their league title suffered an early setback.

Luis Enrique brought Olympic gold medal-winning hero Neymar and new recruit Paco Alcacer into his side with Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Luis Suarez all on the bench after wins in their opening two games in La Liga.

But they fell behind when Deyverson caught them napping with a smart finish in the 39th minute and though French defender Jeremy Mathieu headed an equaliser a minute into the second period, Ibai Gomez took advantage of some sloppy defending to secure Alaves' first win away to Barca since February 2000.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 7 - 0 Celtic : Lionel Messi scores a hat trick as Barcelona easily see off Celtic

Lionel Messi helped give Celtic another harsh Champions League lesson with a hat trick as Barcelona thrashed the Hoops 7-0 in their Group C opener at the Nou Camp.

This was the Celtic's first game back in the group stage of the competition for three seasons, their most recent match ending in a 6-1 defeat at the same venue, and it was another chastening evening for the Scottish champions.

Brazilian star Neymar set up Messi for the opener in the third minute and the Barca captain added a second from close range in the 27th minute after Parkhead striker Moussa Dembele had a penalty saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Neymar added a third five minutes into the second half with a wonderful free kick, substitute Andres Iniesta scored with an even better volley and then Messi tapped in for his third with half-an-hour to play.

As Celtic continued to chase shadows Luis Suarez grabbed a double to give Celtic their heaviest European defeat.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Leganes 1 - 5 Barcelona : Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar on target as Barca rout Leganes

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona thumped Leganes 5-1 in La Liga.

Having lost 2-1 at home to Alaves in their last league game, Barcelona have responded with 12 goals in a week with this result coming on the heels of a 7-0 Champions League rout of Celtic.

Five of those have come from Messi, who added to his midweek hat trick by opening the scoring and adding a second-half penalty. Strike partners Luis Suarez and Neymar were also on target in the first half, while Rafinha netted the fifth before Gabriel pulled one back from a free-kick.

Messi was denied a penalty in the early stages, while Leganes' Carl Medjani headed over the bar after confusion between Samuel Umtiti and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 1 Atletico Madrid : Lionel Messi injured as Barcelona held to draw

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid got the result only Real Madrid wanted as they drew 1-1 in a tightly-contested match at the Nou Camp.

Real had dropped points for the first time this season earlier in the evening at home to Villarreal and must have feared reigning champions Barcelona would cut their lead to one point when Ivan Rakitic headed home an inviting Andres Iniesta cross in the 41st minute.

But Diego Simeone's men were dogged opponents and got the equaliser their efforts deserved when substitute Angel Correa got the better of Javier Mascherano to score after an hour's play.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Sporting Gijon 0 - 5 Barcelona : Barcelona make light of Messi absence to thrash Sporting Gijon

Barcelona began their run of matches without Lionel Messi with a 5-0 win over Sporting Gijon at El Molinon.

An adductor injury is expected to sideline Messi for around three weeks, but Barca got the job done against Sporting without him.

The other two-thirds of the 'MSN' strike force, Luis Suarez and Neymar, played their part in covering for Messi's absence, scoring three goals between them.

Suarez got the ball rolling just before the half-hour and Rafinha headed in a second to put the champions in control.

Alberto Lora's dismissal in the 74th minute made it an uphill struggle for the hosts, with Neymar grabbing his first goal in the 82nd minute and Arda Turan's header making it four two minutes later.

The final word came from Neymar with two minutes to go as Barcelona returned to winning ways after their draw with Atletico Madrid in midweek.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Borussia Monchengladbach 1 - 2 Barcelona : Barcelona rally to victory with Turan, Pique goals

Gerard Pique claimed the winner as Barcelona came from behind to beat Borussia Monchengladbach and claim a second successive victory in Group C of the Champions League.

The Spain international defender seized on a mistake by Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer 16 minutes from time to scramble home from close range and give the La Liga champions a 2-1 win at Borussia-Park.

Thorgan Hazard's close-range finish following an incisive breakaway had put the hosts ahead at half-time, but Barca levelled 20 minutes into the second period through substitute Arda Turan's emphatic half-volley.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Celta de Vigo 4 - 3 Barcelona : Barcelona shocked for second straight season

Celta Vigo stunned Barcelona for the second season running as they pressed and harried their illustrious visitors to beat them 4-3 at Balaidos.

The hosts won the corresponding fixture 4-1 last season and surged into a 3-0 lead before half-time this time around to leave Luis Enrique's men shell-shocked.

Pione Sisto and Iago Aspas both took their chances well and Jeremy Mathieu's own goal, under pressure from Aspas, gave Celta a lead they fully merited.

Barcelona cut the deficit to one via a Gerard Pique header and a Neymar penalty, but visiting goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen completed a nightmare evening by blasting a clearance into the face of Pablo Hernandez to give Celta a renewed two-goal advantage.

Pique pulled a further goal back but Barca missed their chance to seize the initiative in La Liga as they slipped to their second defeat in domestic competition.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 0 Deportivo La Coruña : Lionel Messi returns from injury as Barcelona thrash Depor

Lionel Messi marked his return from injury with a goal as Barcelona beat Deportivo La Coruna 4-0 to atone for the horror defeat at Celta Vigo before the international break.

The Argentinian had only been on the field for three minutes when he scored Barca's fourth, having missed their last three matches with a groin injury.

Rafinha's brace set Luis Enrique's men on a winning path and Luis Suarez's well-taken effort just before half-time ended the match as a contest, with Manchester City -- and Pep Guardiola -- the next visitors to the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 0 Manchester City : Lionel Messi hat trick as Barcelona beat Man City in Guardiola's return

Lionel Messi scored a hat trick in a sensational display as Barcelona beat Manchester City 4-0 at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

The five-times Ballon d'Or winner struck in the 17th, 61st and 69th minutes -- the last two coming after City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo had been sent off -- as Pep Guardiola suffered an unhappy return to his old club.

Neymar got his goal late in the match, curling in a shot to make it nine points from three matches for Barcelona, with the only downside to their night being the loss of Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique to knocks.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Valencia 2 - 3 Barcelona : Lionel Messi's late penalty gives Barcelona win

Lionel Messi's last-minute penalty saw Barcelona snatch a 3-2 win over Valencia in an enthralling encounter at the Mestalla.

Messi, who recorded his 41st career hat-trick on Wednesday, opened the scoring in the first half but goals from Barcelona loanee Munir and Rodrigo gave the hosts a shock 2-1 lead after the break.

Barcelona responded immediately as Alves could only parry Rakitic's header towards Suarez who finished expertly to equalise just after the hour mark.

The trickery of Luis Suarez won the visitors a penalty at the death before Messi confidently dispatched the spot-kick for his brace as Barca remained top of La Liga.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 0 - 1 Espanyol : Espanyol beat city rivals Barcelona in Catalan Super Cup

Espanyol earned some bragging rights over their local rivals Barcelona with a 1-0 win in the Catalan Super Cup.

Felipe Caicedo took advantage of an error from Barcelona centre-back Jeremy Mathieu to score the only goal 10 minutes into the game, which was played at a leisurely pace in Tarragona.

Barcelona featured an experimental side without their star trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez in the squad, as a number of players from the reserves saw playing time.

Nili fired a shot just wide of the post in the second half, but the Blaugrana could not find an equaliser despite making five changes.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Granada : Rafinha strike enough for Barcelona in game of missed chances

Rafinha scored the only goal as Barcelona moved up to second in La Liga with a laboured 1-0 victory over struggling Granada at the Nou Camp.

The Brazilian struck in the 48th minute, pouncing on a rebound after Neymar hit a post, as Barca finally made their dominance of possession count against the bottom side.

Luis Enrique's men struggled to create meaningful chances throughout, with the normally clinical Luis Suarez enduring a particularly frustrating night.

Nevertheless, the result was good enough to take advantage of Sevilla's slip earlier on Saturday to move up to second behind leaders Real Madrid.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Manchester City 3 - 1 Barcelona : City stun Barcelona as Ilkay Gundogan strikes twice

Manchester City produced an outstanding second-half performance to sweep past Barcelona 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola's side had gone behind to his old one when Lionel Messi, who scored a hat-trick as Barca won 4-0 in the reverse fixture at the Camp Nou, struck with a low finish.

But a brace from Ilkay Gundogan and a free kick for Kevin De Bruyne turned the game on its head as City gave their Champions League prospects a huge boost.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Sevilla 1 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez lead Barcelona comeback

A goal and an assist from Lionel Messi kept Barcelona on Real Madrid's coat-tails at the top of La Liga as they came from behind to win a cracking encounter with Sevilla 2-1.

Some of the stars of television show Game of Thrones were in attendance and Barca successfully stormed the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan fortress, where Sevilla had won five from five, in a game packed with cut and thrust and goalmouth action.

Luis Enrique's men head into the international break just two points behind Real thanks to Messi, whose pinpoint finish cancelled out Vitolo's opener. The Argentinian then provided a clever pass to tee up Luis Suarez for the winner.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 0 - 0 Málaga : Barcelona held to goalless draw by 9-man Málaga

Barcelona looked as off-colour as their poorly superstar Lionel Messi as they struggled to break down Málaga at the Camp Nou.

There was no place for Messi in Barca's matchday squad after he contracted a vomiting bug and without him his teammates laboured to a 0-0 draw which did little for their hopes of retaining their league title.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Celtic 0 - 2 Barcelona : Messi scores twice as Barcelona cruise into knockout stage

Celtic were knocked out of Europe as a Lionel Messi double gave Barcelona a 2-0 Champions League win at Parkhead.

The Argentinian, who scored a hat trick in the 7-0 home win over the Hoops in the opening Group C fixture, struck from close range in the 23rd minute and doubled his tally from the spot 10 minutes after the break.

Brendan Rodgers' side put up a better show than they did in the Nou Camp but remain bottom of the section with two points and travel to Manchester City next month for the final fixture unable to finish third for a Europa League spot.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Sociedad 1 - 1 Barcelona : Barcelona fortunate to escape with draw

Barcelona's terrible record at the Anoeta continued and they were fortunate to escape with even a point as Real Sociedad were denied a clear winner in their 1-1 draw.

Not since 2007 have Barca won in San Sebastian and they were thoroughly outplayed by their hosts as they extended their unbeaten run to eight home games against Luis Enrique's side, who now trail La Liga leaders Real Madrid by six points ahead of next weekend's El Clasico.

Willian Jose's opener was cancelled out by an equaliser from the largely anonymous Lionel Messi shortly after, but Sociedad had a legitimate winner ruled out when substitute Juanmi was incorrectly ruled offside as he finished with 14 minutes to go.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Hercules 1 - 1 Barcelona : Barcelona held to draw by Hercules in Copa del Rey

1st Leg

Barcelona laboured to a 1-1 draw at Segunda Division B side Hercules in the first leg of their Copa del Rey fourth-round tie.

With El Clasico on the horizon this weekend, manager Luis Enrique made the expected sweeping changes for the trip to Alicante.

However, the visitors found themselves behind early in the second half when David Mainz bundled the ball in at the far post.

Barcelona soon equalised through a long-range effort from midfielder Carles Alena, his first goal for the club, on 58 minutes, but could not manufacture a winner.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 1 Real Madrid : Ramos scores late equaliser as El Clasico ends in draw

Sergio Ramos scored a late equaliser to keep Real Madrid's six-point lead at the top of La Liga intact as they extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 33 games with a 1-1 draw against Barcelona.

Luis Suarez's 53rd min opener looked to have been enough to secure victory for Barca and inflict a first defeat in all competitions on Madrid since April 6, but Ramos had the final say as he headed home at the death.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 0 Borussia Monchengladbach : Turan scores hat trick

Arda Turan scored a second-half hat-trick as Barcelona took out their domestic frustrations on Borussia Monchengladbach with a 4-0 mauling at the Nou Camp.

Turan made the most of his recall to a much-changed XI by setting up Lionel Messi for Barca's opener before then taking centre-stage himself with a 17-minute treble after the break.

Only fine goalkeeping from Yann Sommer kept already-qualified Barca from recording an even more emphatic victory as the 2015 winners completed their Champions League Group C stage in style.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Osasuna 0 - 3 Barcelona : Suarez and Messi lead Barcelona to victory

Barcelona cruised to a comfortable win at Osasuna as second-half strikes from Luis Suarez and two from Lionel Messi secured the points.

Barca carved out a string of chances in a dominant display against their bottom of the table hosts, who often pulled all 11 players back behind the ball as they faced waves of pressure before the break.

Barcelona made the breakthrough in the 59th minute when more crisp passing left Osasuna struggling and Alba's low cross from the left found the unmarked Suarez to tap home from close range.

With 20 minutes remaining and Barcelona in total control, Oriol Riera replaced Kenan Kodro -- but within moments Messi had pounced to seal the points for Barcelona.

Again the goal came through Alba on the left, with his cross being flicked home by Messi after 72 minutes.

And Barcelona put the icing on the cake in injury time when Messi jinked superbly away from three defenders before dinking a finish into the corner -- his 17th strike in nine appearances against Osasuna.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Al Ahli 3 - 5 Barcelona : MSN all score as Barcelona wins in friendly

Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez all scored in a half-hour of action in Barcelona's 5-3 win over Al Ahli in a friendly in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday.

Barcelona took the lead after just eight minutes as Suarez barely got a touch to Lionel Messi's chip into the box to flick it past the goalkeeper.

It was 2-0 two minutes later when Neymar dispossessed a defender on the touchline and cut it back to Rafinha, and the ball deflected to Messi to lash home a low shot.

Neymar made it 3-0 on 17 minutes when a poor defensive clearance came out to Rafinha, who passed ahead for his fellow Brazilian to score.

With a goal each, Barcelona's top three stars then departed in the 32nd minute along with Gerard Pique. It was the start of a trend as Luis Enrique made 11 changes in total by the 63rd minute.

An Omar Abdulrahman penalty brought a goal back for the hosts shortly after half-time, before Paco Alcacer scored his first goal for Barcelona -- though in an unofficial capacity -- and Rafinha tacked on a fifth three minutes later.

Al Ahli got a brace from Mohanad Asiri on either side of Barcelona's final changes to complete the scoring.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 1 Espanyol : Luis Suarez double as Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona win Catalan derby

Luis Suarez scored twice to help Barcelona to a 4-1 victory over Espanyol in the clash of the Catalans at the Nou Camp.

The Uruguayan's double briefly made him the top scorer in La Liga with 12 goals, until teammate Lionel Messi moved back level with him in the last minute.

It also ended Espanyol's 10-game unbeaten run and edged the Spanish champions to within three points of leaders Real Madrid.

Jordi Alba scored the third after a mazy run from Messi.

Espanyol grabbed a consolation 11 minutes from time when Moreno cushioned an inviting ball for David Lopez to crash into the net.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 7 - 0 Hercules : Arda Turan hat trick

(2nd Leg : Barcelona wins 8-1 on agg)

Barcelona shrugged off Hercules 7-0 to win 8-1 on aggregate in their Copa del Rey round-of-32 tie on Wednesday at the Camp Nou.

Summer signing Paco Alcacer scored his maiden goal for the club, while Lucas Digne, Ivan Rakitic, Rafinha and a Arda Turan hat trick completed the rout of the overmatched Segunda B side.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Athletic Bilbao 2 - 1 Barcelona : Athletic Bilbao hang on with 9 men to defeat Barcelona in Copa del Rey first leg

(1st Leg)

Athletic Bilbao held on with nine-men to surprise Barcelona 2-1 in the first leg of their last-16 Copa del Rey tie on Thursday.

Aritz Aduriz and Inaki Williams had given the hosts a two-goal lead in the first half before Lionel Messi drew a goal back from a free kick just after the break.

But Athletic successfully defended their lead despite having Raul Garcia and Ander Iturraspe both dismissed after each picked up two yellow cards in the second half.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Villarreal 1 - 1 Barcelona : Messi free kick rescues point for Barcelona

Lionel Messi's stunning free kick secured Barcelona a last-gasp draw, but failing to win at Villarreal was a damaging result given LaLiga leaders Real Madrid's indomitable form.

Zinedine Zidane's side equalled Barca's Spanish record of 39 games unbeaten in all competitions by swatting aside Granada on Saturday.

Barca needed to respond at Villarreal but could only muster a 1-1 draw, with Messi's superb free-kick cancelling out a fine second-half Nicola Sansone strike.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Athletic Bilbao : Messi free kick fires Barcelona into Copa quarters

(2nd Leg : Barcelona wins 4-3 on agg)

Lionel Messi broke Athletic Bilbao's hearts with a late free kick as Barcelona's big guns kept their Copa del Rey hopes alive.

Messi struck with 12 minutes remaining at the Nou Camp to seal a 3-1 win on the night and a 4-3 aggregate victory to ensure Luis Enrique's men made it to the last eight.

Barca went into the second leg trailing 2-1 and knowing failure to end a run of two games without victory would spell disaster in front of a crowd of 71,445.

However, Luis Suarez cancelled out Bilbao's advantage with his 100th goal for the club before the break and Neymar struck from the penalty spot after the restart before Enric Saborit pulled one back.

Messi's contribution ultimately sealed victory with a goal which means he, Suarez and Neymar have now scored a staggering 302 between them since joining forces.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 0 Las Palmas : Barcelona put five past Las Palmas

Barcelona moved up to second as they thumped Las Palmas 5-0 at the Nou Camp to remind Real Madrid they remain very much in the title race.

Luis Suarez opened the scoring as the champions produced a dominant performance that could have seen them out of sight by half-time, were it not for rare display of poor finishing.

Lionel Messi eventually found the back of the net after the restart before Suarez notched his second, with Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal also scoring to wrap up a comfortable victory for the Catalan club.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Sociedad 0 - 1 Barcelona : Neymar helps Barcelona take slim advantage

1st Leg

Barcelona won at the Anoeta for the first time in nearly a decade to take a 1-0 lead after the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinal clash with Real Sociedad.

Neymar won a penalty on 21st min and then got up to convert it to give the Catalans a first win in San Sebastian since a 2-0 La Liga success in May 2007.

It was only the Brazilian's eighth goal of the season but it helped strengthen Barcelona's grip on the trophy they have won each of the past two years ahead of the return leg at the Nou Camp in a week's time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Eibar 0 - 4 Barcelona : MSN score as Barca close gap on Real Madrid

Barcelona closed the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to two points after a 4-0 victory at Eibar.

Substitute Denis Suarez scored his first senior club goal before Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar scored in the second half but Luis Enrique's side rode their luck early on against their spirited hosts.

Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved from Adrian before Suarez opened the scoring but Barca's victory was marred by an ankle injury to Sergio Busquets.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 2 Real Sociedad : Barcelona defeat Real Sociedad to advance to Copa del Rey semifinals

(2nd Leg : Barcelona wins 6-2 on agg)

Barcelona saw off Real Sociedad on Thursday, scoring four times after half-time to win 5-2 in the second leg of their Copa del Rey clash and advance to the semifinals.

Denis Suarez scored the first and last goals on the night, with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Arda Turan also on target as Barcelona completed a 6-2 aggregate triumph at the Camp Nou.

Juanmi and Willian José scored for the visitors.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Betis 1 - 1 Barcelona : Late Luis Suarez strike earns Barcelona a point

Luis Suarez prevented Barcelona's first La Liga defeat since Oct. 2 by equalising in the final minute of a controversial 1-1 draw at Real Betis.

Suarez pounced on an error by Betis substitute Nahuel Leiva to slot home his 16th league goal of the season after Alex Alegria had given Betis a 75th-minute lead.

But the main fall-out at the Estadio Benito Villamarin will surround the goal that never was. Barcelona were left cursing the absence of goal-line technology in Spanish football after Matteo Piccinini had appeared to put through his own net two minutes after Alegria's opener.

Aissa Mandy cleared from under -- and on to -- his own crossbar, but television replays clearly showed the ball had crossed the Betis goal-line.

https://j.gifs.com/oY92Zj.gif

Time for goal line technology......

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Atletico Madrid 1 - 2 Barcelona : Suarez, Messi super strikes give Barcelona leg up

1st Leg

Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi were both on target as Barcelona survived a fightback from Atletico Madrid to take control of the Copa del Rey semifinal with a 2-1 win.

Suarez and Messi scored in the first half as Barcelona dominated the early stages of the first leg, taking a two-goal lead into the break.

However a revitalised Atletico emerged after half-time, pulling a goal back through Antoine Griezmann and created enough chances to feel hard done by as they were forced to concede a one-goal advantage to Barca.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Athletic Bilbao : Lionel Messi's free kick helps Barcelona cruise to victory

Barcelona closed the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to just a point with a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou.

Paco Alcacer opened the scoring on 18 minutes with his first league goal for the club and after the visitors had failed to make the most of their chances, Lionel Messi's free kick squirmed past Bilbao keeper Gorka Iraizoz five minutes before half-time.

Defender Aleix Vidal added a third midway through the second half for Luis Enrique's side, who have now played two matches more than Real Madrid.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 1 Atletico Madrid : Barcelona hold off Atletico with nine men, reach Copa del Rey final

(2nd Leg : Barcelona wins 3-2 on agg)

Barcelona secured a place in the final of the Copa del Rey after a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp, but will have to do without Luis Suarez who was one of three players sent off in a fiery clash.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Madrid, Atletico knew they needed to score at least twice to progress.

The visitors made a positive opening with Fernando Torres and Antoine Griezmann leading the frontline, but failed to make the most of their chances before Suarez put Barcelona in front at the end of the first half.

Barcelona defender Sergi Roberto was sent off for a second yellow card just before the hour and Antoine Griezmann had an equaliser incorrectly ruled out for offside.

Yannick Carrasco was then sent off, Kevin Gameiro missed a penalty only to eventually draw Atletico level, before Suarez also received a red card in the closing stages of a heated contest.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Alavés 0 - 6 Barcelona : Luis Suarez nets brace as Barcelona thrash Alaves

Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi ran riot as Barcelona fired in four goals in nine second-half minutes on their way to a 6-0 thumping of Alaves.

Efforts from Suarez and Neymar late in the first half had the visitors in front at the break, but their hosts remained in the game until Messi added a third just before the hour mark.

The floodgates then opened, with Ruano Alexis' own goal, an Ivan Rakitic strike and another Suarez effort seeing Barca rack up half a dozen by the 67th minute.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Paris Saint-Germain 4 - 0 Barcelona : PSG thrash Barcelona as Angel Di Maria scores twice

1st Leg

Two goals from Angel Di Maria and one apiece from Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani gave Paris Saint-Germain an unexpected and potentially unassailable 4-0 lead against Barcelona in their Champions League round of 16 first leg tie.

The result equalled Barca's worst in Europe, last achieved by Bayern Munich at the semifinal stage fours years ago, but could easily have been worse as they were outfought, outrun and outclassed.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 1 Leganes : Lionel Messi brace rescues Barcelona

Lionel Messi's late penalty spared Barcelona further embarrassment as they bounced back from their Champions League humiliation by beating struggling Leganes 2-1 in La Liga.

Barca were thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday and almost fell victim to another shock as Leganes looked on course to snatch an unlikely draw at the Nou Camp.

Messi, however, held his nerve to convert an 89th-minute penalty, which moves Barca to within one point of Real Madrid at the top of the table. However, Madrid have two games in hand.

It was Messi's second goal of the game after he had given the Catalans an early lead but Unai Lopez stunned the favourites with a 71st-minute equaliser before the Argentinian's late heroics.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Atletico Madrid 1 - 2 Barcelona : Late Lionel Messi strike earns Barcelona three points

Lionel Messi was once again the downfall of Atletico Madrid with an 86th-minute winner that kept Barcelona firmly in the title race.

The Argentinian's 22nd goal in 22 league games against Atleti was also his 20th of the domestic campaign -- a figure he has reached for nine successive seasons -- as Barca turned up the heat on La Liga rivals Real Madrid.

It was far from a vintage Barca performance, with Rafinha's scrappy second-half opener having been cancelled out by Diego Godin's header, yet Messi's late strike in a 2-1 success seriously dented Atleti's own title aspirations as their winless run against Luis Enrique's men was extended to 20 domestic games.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 6 - 1 Sporting Gijón : Messi, Suarez and Neymar all on target as Barcelona romp

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were all on target as Barcelona cruised to a 6-1 LaLiga win over Sporting Gijon on Wednesday night.

Title-chasing Barca were 2-0 up after 11 minutes through Messi and a Juan Rodriguez own goal.
Relegation-threatened Sporting pulled one back after 21 minutes through Carlos Castro, but Suarez restored the two-goal lead before half-time.

Paco Alcacer added a fourth within four minutes of his half-time introduction in place of Suarez.
And Neymar struck his first home league goal of the campaign, in his 10th game at the Nou Camp, as Barca made it five before Ivan Rakitic added a late sixth.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 0 Celta Vigo : Lionel Messi scores twice to help Barcelona romp to win over Celta

Barcelona quickly reclaimed top spot in La Liga on Saturday night with a 5-0 rout of Celta Vigo, after having briefly been usurped by Real Madrid.

Real had stormed to a 4-1 win at Eibar in the afternoon kickoff to move two points clear at the summit, but Barca, whose boss Luis Enrique announced earlier this week that he would leave his post at the end of the season, responded in style.

Barcelona produced a scintillating display as a brace from Lionel Messi as well as goals from Neymar, Ivan Rakitic, and Samuel Umtiti completed the rout.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 6 - 1 Paris Saint-Germain : Barcelona complete stunning six-goal comeback

(2nd Leg : Barcelona wins 6-5 on agg)

Barcelona needed to become the first team in European history to overcome a 4-0 first-leg Champions League deficit and did so against Paris Saint-Germain as they scored six goals to knock out the French champions despite Edinson Cavani's away goal, ending the tie 6-5 on aggregate. With the win on Wednesday, Barcelona reached the quarterfinals.

Inside two minutes, they had one back. Luis Suarez took advantage of mayhem in the PSG backline as they failed to deal with a bouncing ball and the Uruguayan headed over the line in front of goalkeeper Kevin Trapp before Thomas Meunier could try and clear it from underneath the bar.

Breakthrough for 2-0 came in the 40th minute. Neat interplay between Iniesta and Suarez saw the ball looped over the top and Marquinhos failed to clear. Iniesta got goalside of his man, backheeled the ball across the six-yard box and Layvin Kurzawa mistimed his clearance to put the ball into his own net.

Shortly after half-time, Barcelona were 3-0 ahead and within one goal of completing the comeback. Iniesta flicked a ball through to Neymar was tripped by the falling Meunier in the box. Initially the referee did not give the penalty but his goal-line assistant did after some delay and Messi struck the penalty home with ease.

PSG got a hugely important away goal to make it 3-1 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate. Barcelona failed to clear a set piece and Cavani hammered a volley past Ter Stegen and into the roof of the net to give the Parisiens some breathing space.

Then Neymar kept things interesting with a wonderful curling free kick in the final minute that made it 4-1 on the night and Barcelona were awarded a last minute penalty as Suarez went down under a challenge from Marquinhos, converted by Neymar to make it 5-1, but still behind 5-5 on aggregate.

And, incredibly, in the final seconds, with Barcelona needing one more goal, Sergi Roberto struck to make it 6-5 and put to bed one of the most incredible games in Champions League history.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Deportivo La Coruña 2 - 1 Barcelona : Barcelona stunned at Deportivo

Barcelona were brought back to earth after their remarkable Champions League victory over Paris St Germain as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at lowly Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga on Sunday.

Joselu, on loan from Premier League side Stoke, opened the scoring for the hosts with just five minutes remaining of the first half at the Riazor.

Luis Suarez drew the defending champions level moments after the interval with his 21st league strike of the campaign, but Alex Bergantinos headed home Depor's winner with 17 minutes to go.

Barcelona's defeat was only their third in La Liga this season and brought to an end a six-match winning streak in the division, a run which had seen them replace Real Madrid at the top of the table.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 2 Valencia : Lionel Messi scores twice to help Barcelona defeat 10 men Valencia

Lionel Messi scored twice to help Barcelona keep pace in La Liga's title race with a 4-2 defeat of 10-man Valencia at the Camp Nou on Sunday night.

Valencia had a lead against the run of play after Munir El Haddadi chased a long ball that went out for a corner. Mangala headed home Dani Parejo's cross into the box to put the visitors ahead.

But the lead would only last six minutes, as Suarez ran onto a quick throw-in from Neymar and scored with a sliding first touch.

Valencia's hopes seemed to be extinguished in the 44th minute, when Messi played through Suarez, who had his shirt grabbed by Mangala. It was a clear red card -- even if the Uruguayan went down rather easily -- and Messi put his penalty down the middle to put Barcelona ahead.

However, there was more drama in an eventful first half as the 10 men caught Barcelona sleeping before the break. Soler passed ahead to Jose Gaya, who fed across for Munir to tap in, though the player declined to celebrate his equaliser against his parent club.

On 52 minutes, Diego Alves made a fine save to deny Neymar, who had been played in by Messi. And less than a minute later the Argentina superstar received an Iniesta pass and found space at the near post to beat the Valencia goalkeeper and restore Barcelona's lead.

The hosts were rewarded again for their efforts two minutes from time when Neymar crossed for substitute Andre Gomes to tap in.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Granada 1 - 4 Barcelona : Barcelona maintain pressure on Real

Barcelona kept up the pressure on La Liga leaders Real Madrid as they won 4-1 at struggling Granada.

Luis Suarez put Barca -- without Lionel Messi for this game due to a one-match suspension -- in front in the 44th minute with a sublime lobbed finish.

Granada sprung a surprise by levelling five minutes into the second half through Jeremie Boga, before fellow substitute Paco Alcacer restored the visitors' lead in the 64th minute.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the 82nd when Uche Agbo was sent off, and a minute later Ivan Rakitic's shot went in off Mathieu Saunier, with Neymar then adding a fourth for Luis Enrique's men in stoppage time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Sevilla : Lionel Messi scores brace as Barcelona cruise

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona produced a scintillating first-half display in their 3-0 win against Sevilla.

Messi bagged a brace after Luis Suarez's overhead kick had given the hosts a 25th-minute lead.

Luis Enrique's side coasted through the second period to record a ninth win in 10 La Liga matches while the visitors had Vitolo sent off in stoppage time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Málaga 2 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona stunned as Neymar gets sent off

Barcelona failed to close the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid as they were beaten 2-0 at Malaga, where Brazil forward Neymar was sent off.

Antoine Griezmann had netted a late equaliser as Atletico Madrid secured a 1-1 draw away at their city rivals earlier in the day, which could have allowed Barcelona to leapfrog them at the top of the table.

However, Malaga boss Jose Miguel Gonzalez had not read the script as his side chalked up a second successive victory to move closer to safety.

Sandro netted on the break against his former club after half an hour and substitute Rodriguez Jony added a late second after Neymar had seen red having picked up a needless second caution.

As a result, Real Madrid edge three points clear of Barcelona with a match in hand, while Malaga now sit 14th.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Juventus 3 - 0 Barcelona : Paulo Dybala strikes twice as Juventus down Barcelona

1st Leg

Barcelona need another Nou Camp miracle if they are to reach the Champions League semifinals after a crushing 3-0 loss to Juventus in Turin.

Paulo Dybala struck twice in a stunning first half and Giorgio Chiellini added a third after the break as the hosts claimed a commanding advantage ahead of next week's second leg.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 2 Real Sociedad : Lionel Messi scores brace as Barcelona win thriller

Lionel Messi supplied two goals and an assist as Barcelona saw off Real Sociedad 3-2 at the Camp Nou to keep up the pressure on La Liga leaders Real Madrid ahead of El Clasico.

With Madrid having earlier beaten Sporting Gijon after a late goal from Isco, the tension was firmly back on Luis Enrique's side who had lost their last two matches.

Messi drilled in the opening goal from 25 yards after 17 minutes and then added a somewhat fortunate second when the ball bounced in off his leg from a rebound.

Sociedad reduced the deficit through an own goal by Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti only for Paco Alcacer to quickly restore the hosts' advantage.

However, a neat finish by Xabi Prieto in first-half stoppage time set up a tense second period, as Enrique's men eventually got themselves back to winning ways as they prepare for two matches which could well define their campaign in Europe and at home.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 0 - 0 Juventus : Juventus frustrate Barcelona hopes of a comeback to reach semifinals

(2nd Leg : Juventus wins 3-0 on agg)

Juventus held Barcelona to a goalless draw at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night, ending their hosts' hopes of another sensational second-leg rally and advancing to the Champions League semifinals 3-0 on aggregate.

A combination of stout defending from Juventus and imprecise finishing from Barcelona meant they could not repeat their miraculous performance that saw the Blaugrana come back against PSG in the round of 16.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Madrid 2 - 3 Barcelona : Messi brace pulls Barcelona even in La Liga after thrilling Clasico win

Barcelona gave their La Liga title hopes a huge boost with a 3-2 defeat of arch-rivals Real Madrid in a thrilling Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Lionel Messi scored a brace, including a superb last-gasp winner, and Ivan Rakitic added the third to pull Barca even with Real atop the league on 75 points, though the hosts still enjoy a game in hand.

Casemiro and James Rodriguez replied for Real Madrid.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 7 - 1 Osasuna : Lionel Messi scores brace as Barcelona win with style

Barcelona blitzed Osasuna with four goals in 10 second-half minutes to temporarily move three points clear at the top of La Liga with a 7-1 victory at the Camp Nou.

Luis Enrique rested several of his regular starters, including Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba -- an understandable move following gruelling matches against Juventus and Real Madrid, and before the weekend's derby at Espanyol.

It seemed it would not matter much after Lionel Messi struck early and Andre Gomes extended the lead before half-time.

However, the decision might have been briefly questioned when Roberto Torres pulled a goal back at the start of the second half.

However, Gomes and Messi both got their second goals of the evening either side of the hour mark to put the game to bed and Paco Alcacer and Javier Mascherano, the latter from the penalty spot, quickly added gloss to the scoreline with just 67 minutes on the clock.

Alcacer became the third player to net a double with four minutes remaining.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Espanyol 0 - 3 Barcelona : Luis Suarez ends goal drought to lead Barcelona past Espanyol

Luis Suarez scored twice as Barcelona moved back to the top of La Liga after a 3-0 derby win at Espanyol.

With Real Madrid having produced a late victory over Valencia earlier, the pressure was firmly back on Luis Enrique's side.

Barcelona moved back level on points with Real Madrid, top on head-to-head record, but having played a match more than their title rivals.

Unlike at Malaga earlier this month, there was no slip up as Suarez latched onto a stray backpass to put Barcelona ahead early in the second half.

Midfielder Ivan Rakitic made sure of the points with 15 minutes left when he slotted in on the break before Suarez rolled in a late third following more shambolic defending from the hosts.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 1 Villarreal : Messi, Suarez and Neymar star

Lionel Messi scored his 50th and 51st goals in all competitions this season to help Barcelona keep the pressure on Real Madrid in the Spanish league's tight title race on Saturday.

Neymar and Luis Suarez also struck in a 4-1 victory over Villarreal that increased the combined goal tally of Barcelona's trio of star strikers to 102 goals in the campaign.

Cédric Bakambu scored for the visitor.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Las Palmas 1 - 4 Barcelona : Neymar treble keeps Barcelona top with win at Las Palmas

Neymar struck a hat trick as Barcelona stayed top of La Liga with a 4-1 victory away to Las Palmas.

Barcelona matched Real Madrid's victory over Sevilla to be level with their rivals on 87 points.

They remain top of the league by virtue of having a better head-to-head record in their meetings with Real this season.

But Real have a game in hand as they travel to Celta Vigo on Wednesday before the final round of matches next weekend.

Lionel Messi took a back seat for once as Neymar claimed a first Barcelona hat-trick since October 2015, with Luis Suarez also on target.

Defender Pedro Bigas had given the hosts hope when he made it 2-1.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 2 Eibar : Barcelona fightback against Eibar not enough

Barcelona came from behind to beat Eibar 4-2 at the Nou Camp, but it was not enough to deliver the La Liga title in Luis Enrique's final home match.

Enrique's side needed leaders Real Madrid to slip up at Malaga to overtake them at the top of the table on the final day, but despite producing a second-half recovery, the hard-earned victory was not enough.

Japan midfielder Takashi Inui had fired Eibar into a shock early lead before doubling the visitors' advantage with a stunning half-volley just after the hour.

Barcelona, though, rallied following an own goal from Eibar defender David Junca and, after Lionel Messi saw his penalty saved, the hosts levelled through Luis Suarez.

Messi added another from the spot as Eibar were reduced to 10 men before slotting in a superb individual goal in stoppage time, but it was all to no avail.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Alavés : Barcelona salvage season with Copa del Rey

Lionel Messi produced yet another master class as Barcelona marked the end of Luis Enrique's Nou Camp reign by lifting the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona became the first team since the early 1950s to lift the cup three seasons running as Messi masterminded a 3-1 victory against Alaves at the final game to be staged at Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon home.

Messi set Barcelona on their way with his 54th goal of the season and Neymar and Paco Alcacer were also on target in the first half, with Theo Hernandez offering Alaves brief hope with a wonderful free kick.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/styles/half/public/2017/05/28/579197-barcelona-king-cup-2017-reuters.jpg?itok=sb0qzWtJ

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Juventus 1 - 2 Barcelona : Neymar scores twice as Barcelona defeat Juventus in ICC

Neymar showed exactly why Paris Saint-Germain would be willing to pay his €222 million buyout clause by scoring two stunning goals in Barcelona's 2-1 International Champions Cup win over Juventus.

Juve pulled a goal back, Giorgio Chiellini barging in at the far post between Nelson Semedo and Marlon Santos to thump a header into the back of the net.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Manchester United : Neymar on target as Barcelona sink Manchester United

For the second time this week, Neymar was Barcelona's match winner as they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the International Champions Cup on Wednesday.

The Brazilian has been the constant focus of Barca's tour of the United States off the pitch as he considers an offer to move to Paris Saint-Germain. So far, he has chosen not to speak publicly about the matter, but he's done plenty of talking on the pitch in the meantime.

Juventus couldn't deal with him at the weekend, with his two goals sealing Barca's 2-1 win, and at the FedEx Field, in front of 80,162 supporters, it was United who failed to keep him quiet.

Antonio Valencia couldn't deal with Lionel Messi's chipped pass and Neymar nipped in, spun 180 degrees and fired past David De Gea from close range.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Madrid 2 - 3 Barcelona : Lionel Messi on target as Barcelona beat Real Madrid to win ICC

Barcelona got the better of Real Madrid by a final score of 3-2 in the team's International Champions Cup match in Miami on Saturday night.

The hype leading up to the match was matched by the drama in its opening seconds, as Neymar suffered an early injury and was forced off before returning minutes later.

Shortly after the knock to Neymar, Lionel Messi opened the scoring for Barcelona, evading Luka Modric with a deft touch and then seeing his shot take a fortuitous deflection off Raphael Varane.

Neymar made an immediate impact upon his return, dribbling down the left flank and playing the ball across the top of the penalty area where Ivan Rakitic smashed home from 18 yards to make it 2-0 inside of eight minutes.

Madrid looked shaky in the opening 10 minutes, but they quickly cut the deficit in half when Mateo Kovacic beat Gerard Pique in the 13th minute and neatly finished from 18 yards away past Jasper Cillessen.

Marco Asensio level in the 36th minute for Real on the counter-attack, getting a return pass from Kovacic after a long run and firing past Cillessen after beating Jordi Alba in the penalty area and send the teams to the dressing room at 2-2.

Gerard Pique wasted no time putting Barcelona back in front in the second half, getting on the end of an inswinging Neymar free kick and volleying home over Keylor Navas after some woeful defending by Madrid.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Gimnastic de Tarragona 1 - 1 Barcelona : Paco Alcacer scores but Barcelona held to draw in friendly

Paco Alcacer scored from a free kick to save Barcelona's blushes in a friendly with second-tier Gimnastic on Friday, their first game since the departure of Neymar this week.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique were left out of Ernesto Valverde's side, while Thomas Vermaelen picked up an injury.

Despite winning three games in the U.S. against the likes of Juventus, Manchester United and Real Madrid, Barcelona fell behind in the 11th minute when Omar Perdomo set up Manu Barreiro to score past Jasper Cillessen from close range.

Vermaelen then limped off a minute later and was replaced by Marlon Santos.

Substitute Gerard Deulofeu came the closest to equalising for Barcelona in the second half, but they had to wait until the 79th minute before Alcacer converted from 30 yards out.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 0 Chapecoense AF : Barcelona cruise to Joan Gamper Trophy victory vs. Chapecoense

It wasn't Lionel Messi who received the loudest ovation at Camp Nou on Monday. And it certainly wasn't Neymar, who is long gone having left for Paris Saint-Germain last week.

Instead, it was Neymar's Brazilian compatriots, Chapecoense, who Barcelona invited to take part in this season's Joan Gamper Trophy match after last year's devastating plane crash which killed 71 people, who were given the biggest reception. They were also given €250,000 by Barca as way of a donation.

It wasn't just a noisy reception, either, but an emotional one. The final three players to be welcomed on to the Camp Nou pitch during the pregame presentation were three of the survivors from the accident: Alan Ruschel, Neto and Jackson Follmann.

The focus then switched back to Barca, who could not be accused of going easy on their opponents, some of whom had only arrived from Brazil on Monday. Goals from Messi, Gerard Deulofeu, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Denis Suarez sealed a 5-0 win in front of a crowd of 64,705.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 3 Real Madrid : Ronaldo goal, red card in Real Madrid win against Barcelona

(1st Leg)

Cristiano Ronaldo went from hero to villain in the space of two minutes as Real Madrid won the first El Clasico of the season with a 3-1 victory over Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

Left out of the starting lineup for this first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, Ronaldo's brilliant effort from range had restored Real's lead with 10 minutes remaining, but he was sent off shortly afterwards having picked up two yellow cards in quick succession.

To compound matters, the Portugal forward -- linked with a move away from the Bernabeu this summer -- then pushed referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea after being shown a red card.

Gerard Pique's own goal had put Real ahead after a low-key first half, but in a frantic finish Lionel Messi equalised from the spot before Ronaldo struck, with Marco Asensio grabbing a last-minute third for the visitors.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Madrid 2 - 0 Barcelona : Real Madrid outclass Barcelona for Spanish Super Cup crown

(2nd Leg)
Real Madrid wins 5-1 on agg

Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema scored brilliant first-half goals as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-0 on the night to register a resounding 5-1 aggregate Spanish Super Cup win.

Zinedine Zidane's side, comfortable 3-1 first-leg winners on Sunday, put Cristiano Ronaldo's five-game ban behind them by out-playing their arch-rivals again as moments of magic from Asensio and Benzema put them out of sight.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Real Betis : Barcelona earn win against Betis in emotional Camp Nou match

Lionel Messi's 350th La Liga goal proved elusive as he hit the woodwork three times in Barcelona's 2-0 victory over Real Betis on an emotional night in Catalonia.

The 30-year-old hit the post before the break and then twice afterwards with his latest landmark remaining frustratingly beyond his grasp.

However, an evening on which the club paid tribute to the victims of last week's terrorist attack in the city before kickoff ended in satisfactory fashion for the Catalan giants with Alin Tosca's own goal and a second from Sergi Roberto handing new manager Ernesto Valverde victory in his first league game at the helm.

That it was achieved without the departed Neymar and injured duo Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez -- and without Messi finding the back of the net -- may be a source of encouragement after a difficult start to the campaign.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Alavés 0 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi passes 350 goals with brace

Lionel Messi shrugged off the frustration of missing a penalty to reach another remarkable career landmark as Barcelona eased to a 2-0 victory at Alaves.

Messi, who hit the woodwork three times in the 2-0 win over Real Betis on the opening day of the season, saw his first-half spot-kick superbly saved by Fernando Pacheco after Gerard Pique had been pulled down in the penalty area.

But the 30-year-old was not be denied the 350th LaLiga goal of his career and added the 351st for good measure as the visitors ran out comfortable winners.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 0 Espanyol : Lionel Messi's hat trick guides Barcelona's win over local rivals Espanyol

Lionel Messi plundered a hat trick and substitute Ousmane Dembele came off the bench to set up a late goal for Luis Suarez as Barcelona romped to a 5-0 win in the Catalan derby against Espanyol at the Camp Nou.

With both title rivals Real Madrid and Atletico having dropped points with draws earlier in the day, Barcelona were looking to strike an early blow at the top of the table.

Messi set Barcelona on their way with the opening goal after 26 minutes, although looked to have been offside.

The Argentinian playmaker then doubled the lead 10 minutes before half-time, and completed his hat trick just after the hour.

Gerard Pique's header made it 4-0 with three minutes left before Dembele, on as a late substitute, laid a fifth on a plate for Suarez in stoppage time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Juventus : Lionel Messi brace leads Barcelona to 3-0 win

Lionel Messi summoned another mesmerising performance as Barcelona breezed to a 3-0 win over Juventus in their UEFA Champions League Group D opener at the Camp Nou.

Messi scored twice and set up his side's second for Ivan Rakitic as Ernesto Valverde's men capitalised on some dismal defending by the visitors to claim some degree of revenge for last season's quarterfinal loss.

Juventus had the majority of the early chances but their opportunities came to nothing and, from the moment Messi swept home the opener on the stroke of half-time, the outcome never seemed in doubt.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Getafe 1 - 2 Barcelona : Paulinho rescues Barcelona with late winner

Barcelona extended their 100 percent start in La Liga as substitute Paulinho's late strike secured a 2-1 come-from-behind victory at Getafe.

Big-money signing Ousmane Dembele was forced off on his first league start for Barca with an apparent hamstring problem and Getafe took a deserved lead in the 39th minute thanks to a superb Gaku Shibasaki volley.

Barca fought back after the break with goals from two substitutes, Denis Suarez equalising in the 62nd minute and Paulinho, whose summer switch to the Nou Camp from China raised plenty of eyebrows, firing in with six minutes to go to open his account for the Catalan club.

Certainly it was not the best performance from Ernesto Valverde's side, but the league leaders got the job done in the end to make it four wins out of four.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 6 - 1 Eibar : Lionel Messi scores four as Barcelona thrash Eibar

Lionel Messi turned on the style once again with four goals as Barcelona maintained their 100 percent start in La Liga with a crushing 6-1 win over Eibar at the Nou Camp.

The Argentine launched a devastating second-half display to sink the visitors with further goals coming from Denis Suarez and Paulinho, while Sergi Enrich replied for the visitors.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Girona 0 - 3 Barcelona : Barcelona ease past Girona to continue perfect start to season

Barcelona swept past Catalan neighbours Girona 3-0 for their sixth straight win of the new La Liga campaign, thanks largely to two own goals.

The league leaders forced both Francisco Aday and Gorka Iraizoz to put through their own net, in a competent victory that cemented their four-point advantage at the top of the table.

Luis Suarez also notched in the second half when he powered home his 87th Barcelona goal on his 100th club appearance, and even forced Iraizoz's own goal with a cute step over.

But Lionel Messi drew a rare blank, leaving own goals accounting for Barcelona's second-highest goals haul this season behind their free-scoring Argentina talisman.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Sporting Lisbon 0 - 1 Barcelona : Barcelona edge past Sporting Lisbon through own goal

Barcelona edged to a 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon following an own goal from Sebastian Coates at the Estadio Jose Alvalade to maintain a 100 percent start in Champions League Group D.

The La Liga leaders were left frustrated following a goalless first half as the Portuguese side produced a determined defensive display.

However, the deadlock was broken four minutes into the second half when Luis Suarez's flicked header deflected onto Coates and back into the net.

There was, though, no 100th European goal for Lionel Messi, who saw a couple of first-half chances saved and also fired over from a free kick.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Las Palmas : Barcelona see off Las Palmas at empty Camp Nou

Lionel Messi struck twice as Barcelona beat Las Palmas 3-0 at a deserted Camp Nou in a match overshadowed by politics.

The Liga clash was played behind closed doors after Barca's request for it to be postponed amid unrest during the Catalonia independence referendum was rejected.

Struggling Las Palmas, with Pako Ayestaran in charge for the first time, responded well to the unusual situation and hit the post in the first half, but leaders Barca eventually took control.

Sergio Busquets broke the deadlock after the interval and Messi secured Barca's seventh win from seven games with two typically well-taken finishes.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Atletico Madrid 1 - 1 Barcelona : Luis Suarez strikes late to help Barcelona to draw

Luis Suarez's 82nd-minute header denied Atletico Madrid a first LaLiga win over Barcelona in seven years.

Barca's perfect start to the league campaign ended with a 1-1 draw in the capital, though they were on course to leave empty-handed when Saul Niguez fired home after 21 minutes.

Atleti have knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League twice in recent years but a success over them in their domestic division has proved elusive since Valentine's Day 2010, and so it proved again as Suarez rose at the back post to head in substitute Sergi Roberto's cross.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Olympiakos : Lionel Messi nets landmark goal as Barcelona beat Olympiakos

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal in European competition to lead 10-man Barcelona to a 3-1 victory at home to Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Messi hit the century mark in 122 European matches when he curled a free kick over the wall in the 61st minute. Goalkeeper Silvio Proto got a hand on the ball but could not keep it out as Messi took his career tally in the Champions League to 97 goals.

After Barcelona had gone ahead thanks to an own goal by Dimitris Nikolaou in the 18th minute, the hosts were left a man down three minutes before half-time. Gerard Pique got a second booking for using his arm to steer the ball into the net and the strike was disallowed.

However, Barcelona continued to outclass Olympiakos despite playing with 10 men.

Messi drew a foul from Nikolaou near the edge of the area to set up his free kick. Messi's strike gave him 18 goals in 17 matches for Barcelona and Argentina side this season.

Barcelona's star provided the pass for left-back Lucas Digne to score in the 64th when he dribbled around a defender before cutting the ball back through the area for the defender to drive it home.

Nikolaou scored Olympiakos' consolation goal with a header from a corner in the 90th minute.

Barcelona made it three wins from as many matches in Group D and extended their unbeaten run at home in the competition to 23 straight games.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Málaga : Controversial goal helps Barcelona see off Malaga

Barcelona maintained their four-point lead at the top of LaLiga with a 2-0 win over bottom club Malaga at the Nou Camp, where Gerard Deulofeu's early goal should have been ruled out.

Lucas Digne weaved into the left side of the Malaga penalty area, but his touch from a rebound off a defender took the ball over the byline and out of play before he crossed into the six-yard box where Deulofeu flicked the ball in for his first Barcelona goal.

Andres Iniesta doubled Barcelona's advantage on 56 minutes as Malaga's winless run stretched to nine matches.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Murcia 0 - 3 Barcelona : Gerard Deulofeu stars as Barcelona win at Murcia in Copa del Rey

(1st Leg)

Gerard Deulofeu had a goal and an assist and Jose Arnaiz scored on his senior debut as Barcelona secured a comfortable 3-0 win in the first leg of their Copa del Rey tie against Real Murcia at Estadio Nueva Condomina.

Ernesto Valverde had made the expected sweeping changes, but after some early pressure from the hosts, the La Liga leaders broke the deadlock just before half-time through Paco Alcacer.

Gerard Deulofeu added a second in the 52nd minute before 22-year-old winger Arnaiz netted an angled drive after cutting in from the left.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Athletic Bilbao 0 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi and Paulinho fire Barcelona past Athletic Bilbao

Lionel Messi and Paulinho hit the target as Barcelona crept past Athletic Bilbao to maintain their four-point lead in La Liga.

Messi started and finished a move in the 36th minute to score his 12th league goal of the season, but Barca were flattered by Paulinho's injury-time tap-in after a hard-fought evening at San Mames.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Olympiakos 0 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona struggle, held to goalless draw at Olympiakos

Barcelona failed to score in a Champions League group stage game for the first time in five years as Olympiakos held them to a goalless draw.

Victory in Greece would have booked Barca's passage to the knock-out phase but the three points proved elusive on a night when Luis Suarez hitting the top of the crossbar was as close as the visitors came.

The last time they could not find the net in a group-stage fixture was against Benfica in December 2012, when their qualification had already been assured, but Juventus' draw with Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday night means Barca at least remain three points clear at the top of Group D.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 1 Sevilla : Paco Alcacer brace guides Barcelona to victory

Paco Alcacer was Barcelona's match-winner as his brace helped the LaLiga leaders make it 10 victories from 11 games with a 2-1 success over Sevilla.

The recalled Alcacer, who endured a disappointing first season at the Camp Nou, was making just his second league start of the campaign, yet he made an impact by putting the hosts ahead midway through the first half.

And after Guido Pizarro had levelled for Sevilla after the break with a header from a corner, it was another first-time finish from Alcacer that restored Barca's lead, and their four-point advantage at the top of the table.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Leganes 0 - 3 Barcelona : Luis Suarez bags a brace as Barcelona beat Leganes

Luis Suarez scored a brace as Barcelona recorded a 3-0 victory against Leganes to extend their lead at the summit of LaLiga.

Suarez fired home the opener after 28 minutes before netting his second on the hour mark.

Substitute Paulinho completed the victory -- Barcelona's 11th from their opening 12 matches -- in stoppage time to move Ernesto Valverde's team seven points ahead of second-placed Valencia, who face Espanyol on Sunday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Juventus 0 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona reach Champions League knockouts with draw

Lionel Messi started on the bench as Barcelona secured their passage into the round of 16 of the Champions League with a 0-0 draw at Juventus.

The Argentina playmaker was a surprise omission from the starting line-up in Turin.

But he still went close to breaking the deadlock with a free kick shortly after coming on as a substitute.

Barca knew a point would be enough to see them through and rarely threatened to end Juve's 25-match unbeaten home run in Europe in a bore draw.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Valencia 1 - 1 Barcelona : Messi goal denied in controversial draw

Lionel Messi had a legitimate goal controversially denied as La Liga leaders Barcelona hit back to snatch a 1-1 draw at second-placed Valencia.

Messi's tame first-half strike squirmed through the grasp of Valencia goalkeeper Neto and over the line at Mestalla but it was not spotted by the officials and, with the absence of goal-line technology in Spain, play was allowed to continue.

In-form Valencia took advantage of their fortune when Rodrigo slotted them into a 60th-minute lead but Jordi Alba equalised against his former club with a late volley to keep Barca four points ahead of their rivals.

https://imgur.com/0RaUABs.jpg
Not a goal????!!!:eek:

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)