Super sub Lionel Messi scored twice as nine-man Barcelona, with their 5,000th Spanish league goal, came from behind to beat Racing Santander 2-1 and move 12 points clear of Real Madrid on Sunday.
A Nikola Zigic penalty had put Racing in front on 56 minutes, before Messi changed the game, equalizing just five minutes after coming on before scoring an 81st minute winner. Messi’s personal goals tally for the season is now 16, while Barcelona, unbeaten in 20 games, recorded a ninth straight league win.
“You always know that Messi is capable of creating a goal and fortunately for us he created two,” Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. “We had dominated, but without creating much going forward against a well-organized Racing side.”
PHOTO: AFP
Barca were below par for a while against Racing who went ahead when Zigic converted a 56th-minute spot-kick. Guardiola responded by throwing on Messi, who had been rested, for Sergi Busquets on the hour mark and it quickly paid dividends.
Five minutes after coming on, Messi equalized from close range after Xavi’s header had come off the crossbar. Messi then struck again, controlling on his chest before firing in a right-footed shot for Barcelona’s 5,000th league goal.
“He [Messi] had two half-chances and scored both of them,” Racing coach Juan Ramon Muniz said.
Barcelona finished the match with nine men after Rafael Marquez and Gerard Pique were sent off late on for cynical fouls.
Valencia did their Champions League qualifying hopes the world of good with a 3-2 victory over Almeria. David Villa scored twice to notch up his 16th and 17th goals of the campaign as his side moved a point behind third-placed Sevilla.
Valencia coach Unai Emery praised veteran goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez, a recent signing from Tottenham Hotspur, for a brilliant late save to deny Almeria an equalizer.
“Cesar Sanchez is going to help us when he plays and also when he doesn’t,” Emery said.
Sevilla defeated Valencia to reach the Kings Cup semi-final in midweek, but came back down to earth with a 1-0 loss against 10-man Sporting Gijon.
Sporting played with one man less for more than an hour after Roberto Canella was sent off, but Sevilla could find no way back after Diego Castro’s opener and now trail Real by six points.
“It was a vital win for us as we try and climb up the table,” goalscorer Castro said. “We had to work so hard with 10 men, but the crowd really got behind us.”
Sevilla are in action against Athletic Bilbao in the Kings Cup tomorrow with favorites Barcelona taking on Real Mallorca.
Atletico Madrid’s miserable year continued as they fell to a 2-1 home defeat to Valladolid on Sunday.
Atletico have yet to win this year and were jeered off the pitch at the Vicente Calderon.
“Am I worried about my job? I have a contract that I signed in front of two others and they haven’t told me that it will end before the set date,” Atletico coach Javier Aguirre said. “I have faith in myself and what I am doing and what the players are doing too. I hope that on May 31 [the final day of the season] we are talking about something else.”
Elsewhere, Villarreal slipped to a 3-0 defeat at Deportivo La Coruna.
Spanish La Liga
Team P GD PTS
1 Barcelona 21 50 56
2 Real Madrid 21 17 44
3 Sevilla 21 9 38
4 Valencia 21 10 37
5 Villarreal 21 4 34
6 Deportivo La Coruna 21 -2 33
7 Atletico Madrid 21 11 32
8 Malaga 21 3 32
9 Athletic Bilbao 21 -2 29
10 Racing Santander 21 -1 28
11 Valladolid 21 -2 27
12 Sporting Gijon 21 -16 27
13 Getafe 21 -2 25
14 Almeria 21 -8 24
15 Recreativo Huelva 21 -10 24
16 Real Betis 21 -2 22
17 Numancia 21 -18 20
18 Osasuna 21 -8 17
19 Espanyol 21 -15 17
20 Mallorca 21 -18 17
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