Barcelona - NouCamp Faithful

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Real Madrid 2 - 0 Barcelona : Real Madrid beat Barcelona, top La Liga in second Clasico of the season

Real Madrid showed their character by beating Barcelona 2-0 in Sunday's top-of-the-table Clasico, leapfrogging their rivals at the La Liga summit after a week in which their pride had taken a beating at home and in Europe.

Brazilian teenager Vinicius Junior scored the opener in the 71st minute with a strike that deflected off Gerard Pique, flummoxing goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen who had made some jaw-dropping saves, and substitute Mariano added the second in added time.

Real's victory means they lead the standings on 56 points after 26 games, with Barca slipping to second spot on 55, while Zinedine Zidane's side also crucially have the better head-to-head record in the event both sides finish level on points.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Originally Posted by PaulMerson

Real Madrid taught Barcelona a lesson this morning.

Barcelona will not win this Champions League.

Over the years, they had grown too dependent on Messi.
He played well, Barca wins.
With Messi getting old, there are certain matches in which he can't perform.
Barcelona got no plan B.

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Real Sociedad : Late Messi penalty moves Barcelona back atop La Liga table

Lionel Messi kept his nerve from the penalty spot to give Barcelona a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in La Liga on Saturday and return his side to the top of the table.

Barca's all-time top scorer calmly chipped the ball into the net in the 81st minute after Sociedad defender Robin Le Normand had been penalised following a VAR review for hitting the ball with his arm as he contested a cross.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[PaulMerson]

Major slip on with RM and Barca is now top choice to retain La Liga trophy.

CL will be tougher though.

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Mallorca 0 - 4 Barcelona : Lionel Messi scores as Barcelona handle Mallorca in return to La Liga action

Lionel Messi scored and grabbed two assists as La Liga leaders Barcelona eased to a 4-0 win away to struggling Mallorca on Saturday, making the perfect return to action after Spanish football's three-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The champions got off to a flying start when Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal scored with a diving header in the second minute, while Danish international Martin Braithwaite scored his first goal for Barca later in the first half.

Jordi Alba then added a third goal for Barca in the 79th minute after latching on to a through ball from Messi, who had also set up Braithwaite's goal. The Argentine then completed the scoring with a deflected strike in stoppage time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Leganes : Lionel Messi scores 699th career goal as Barcelona cruise past Leganes

Lionel Messi scored his 699th career goal as Barcelona extended their lead atop the La Liga table with a 2-0 victory over Leganes on Tuesday.

The win gives the Blaugrana 64 points from 29 matches, five points ahead of Real Madrid who have yet to play this round.

Teenager Ansu Fati opened the scoring three minutes from halftime with a composed finish after receiving the ball at the edge of the box.

Messi added the second from the penalty spot in the 69th minute after drawing a Jonathan Silva foul in the box -- the Argentine sending goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar the wrong way to move within a goal of 700 for club and country.

It was Messi's 56th converted penalty in La Liga and saw him draw level with Hugo Sanchez as the league's second-top penalty taker, behind record holder Cristiano Ronaldo on 61.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Sevilla 0 - 0 Barcelona : Messi, Barcelona stifled in scoreless draw at Sevilla

Title-chasing Barcelona were held to a 0-0 draw at Sevilla FC in an empty stadium on Friday as they dropped points in La Liga for the first time since the season re-started after the hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Barca's Lionel Messi went into the match on 699 career goals but failed to get his 700th for club and country, coming closest with a first-half free kick which was headed off the line.

Sergio Reguilon had a glorious chance to snatch a winner in added time when the ball fell into his path from close range but he hit it into the ground and Barca keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen made a comfortable save for the reigning champions.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Athletic Bilbao : Messi stays at 699 goals as Rakitic helps Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao

Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic scored his first goal of the season to give his side a 1-0 win at home to Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, averting a second successive draw which would have further dented the champions' La Liga title defence.

Barca had slipped off the top of the table after Friday's 0-0 draw at Sevilla and put in another sluggish display at an empty Camp Nou, as the star-studded front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann failed to sparkle.

They finally found a way through in the 71st minute when Messi slipped the ball into the path of Croatia midfielder Rakitic, who had only been on the pitch for six minutes and kept his nerve to beat Athletic's in-form goalkeeper Unai Simon.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Celta Vigo 2 - 2 Barcelona : Suarez brace not enough a Barcelona slump to draw at Celta Vigo

Spain striker Iago Aspas dealt a fresh blow to Barcelona's La Liga title hopes by striking a late free kick to snatch a 2-2 draw at home to the Catalans on Saturday as Quique Setien's side twice threw away the lead in a thrilling match.

The draw put Barca back on top of the table on 69 points after 32 games but Real Madrid, on 68, can go two points clear at the summit if they beat Espanyol away from home on Sunday.

Luis Suarez headed Barca in front in the 20th minute thanks to a piece of ingenuity from Lionel Messi, who looked certain to fire at goal from a free kick but instead lofted the ball towards his Uruguayan strike partner.

Russia striker Fedor Smolov equalised for Celta early in the second half, knocking in a pass from Okay Yokuslu to complete a quick counterattack after Barca's Ivan Rakitic had given the ball away.

But Suarez restored Barca's lead in the 67th minute after combining again with Messi, swivelling to fire into the bottom corner.

The second goal looked to have averted a second consecutive away draw for Barca after last week's goalless stalemate at Sevilla but Aspas won a late free kick after falling over the outstretched legs of Gerard Pique.

Celta's talismanic striker made the late opportunity count by sending a low drive around the wall and into the near bottom corner, flummoxing Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Celta should have won the game in added time when Nolito arrived at the far post with the goal gaping, but instead of tapping into the net his shot went straight at Ter Stegen.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 2 Atletico Madrid : Barcelona and Atletico Madrid draw after three penalties and an own goal

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid played to a 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night in a match that saw three penalties converted and an own goal make up the final scoreline.

The game saw Lionel Messi net his 700th career goal for Barcelona and Argentina, but the result means more dropped points for La Liga's defending champions as they are one behind first-placed Real Madrid, who have a game in hand against Getafe on Thursday.

The two sides traded goals inside the opening 20 minutes with a Messi corner kick finding its way into the back of the net off the leg of Diego Costa for an own goal.

Minutes later, Saul Niguez levelled from the penalty spot after Marc-Andre ter Stegen was adjudged to have left his line early by VAR on his initial save from Costa's effort.

Messi's 700th finally came early in the second half when the Argentine beat Oblak from the penalty spot with a cheeky chip to give his team a 2-1 lead and become just the seventh player in football to reach that mark.

Atleti drew level in the 62nd minute with yet another penalty, Saul converting his second of the night after Yannick Carrasco was tripped by Nelson Semedo, who had just drawn the foul for Messi's penalty earlier in the half.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Villarreal 1 - 4 Barcelona : Barcelona get inspired win over Villarreal, keep pace with Real Madrid

Barcelona responded to a trying week by thrashing Villarreal 4-1 away to stay alive in the Liga title race, producing one of their best displays under coach Quique Setien.

The Catalans had drawn their last two matches to hand more momentum to league leaders Real Madrid but Sunday's win took them to 73 points after 34 games, four behind their arch-rivals who won 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao earlier on Sunday.

An own goal from Pau Torres put Barca in front in the third minute, with Villarreal's Gerard Moreno levelling on the rebound in the 14th before the visitors restored their lead through an outstanding curling strike from Luis Suarez six minutes later.

Antoine Griezmann stretched Barca's advantage just before the break with a sublime chip, having been dropped from the starting lineup in the last two games, while 17-year-old Ansu Fati added a fourth in the second half with a low strike.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Espanyol : Suarez saves Barcelona over relegated Espanyol in nervy derby win

Barcelona kept up their pursuit of leaders Real Madrid in the La Liga title race by beating city rivals Espanyol 1-0 at home on Wednesday, also condemning their neighbours to relegation from the top flight.

Luis Suarez struck the only goal of the game in the 56th minute, lashing a loose ball into the net for his 195th goal with Barca which took him past Hungarian Laszlo Kubala as the club's third top scorer of all time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Valladolid 0 - 1 Barcelona : Vidal strike helps Barcelona keep pace with Real Madrid

Lionel Messi notched a 20th assist of the season to help a lacklustre Barcelona secure a 1-0 win away to Real Valladolid on Saturday, maintaining the pressure on La Liga leaders Real Madrid.

Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal struck the only goal of the game in the 15th minute, firing into the net off the post after being played in by Messi, who now has 20 assists in the league to go with his 22 goals.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 2 Osasuna : Barcelona lose to Osasuna, concede La Liga crown to Real Madrid

Barcelona's title hopes disappeared following a 2-1 loss with Osasuna as Real Madrid were crowned La Liga champions.

Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Villarreal secured the league title on 86 points for the capital club, condemning Barca to 79 points and second place with one match left in the season.

Osasuna took the lead at Camp Nou in the 15th minute on Jose Arnaiz's right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. But Lionel Messi equalised it on a superb bend around the wall on a free kick in the 62nd, clipping the post past goalkeeper Sergio Herrera.

Luis Suarez, who came on as a second-half substitute, seemingly got the equaliser on a acrobatic volley in the 68th minute from Messi's pass, but the goal was ruled offside.

Osasuna's Enric Gallego received a red card for an elbow to Clement Lenglet in the 78th minute but Barca could not take advantage of the extra man to net the game winner.

Instead, Barcelona's frustrating season was summed up when Roberto Torres snatched a winner deep into stoppage time, catching the defence flat-footed before hammering home Enrique Barja's cross.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Alavés 0 - 5 Barcelona : Dethroned Barcelona ride Messi, beat Alaves 5-0 on final day of La Liga

Dethroned La Liga champions Barcelona beat Alaves 5-0 with thanks to a brace from Lionel Messi on the final day of the Spanish league on Sunday.

Ansu Fati, Messi, Luis Suarez and Nelson Semedo all found the net for the Catalan side.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)