LaLiga: Lionel Messi brace leads Barcelona to 3-0 win over Elche; move back to third place

Lionel Messi scored twice in Barcelona’s residence win versus Elche in LaLiga. AP

Barcelona: Lionel Messi scored twice within the second half as Barcelona stayed close to the highest of the Spanish league by defeating Elche 3-0 on Wednesday in a match postponed from the primary spherical due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Jordi Alba additionally scored after the break to assist Barcelona transfer again to 3rd place within the league standings, two factors behind second-place Actual Madrid and 5 from chief Atlético Madrid, who nonetheless have a recreation in hand.

Barcelona had been coming off two consecutive setbacks at residence — a 4-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain within the first leg of the spherical of 16 of the Champions League and a 1-1 draw against Cádiz within the Spanish league.

“This win helps enhance the workforce’s morale,” Alba stated. “It wasn’t straightforward after the draw (within the league) and the loss within the Champions League. However we’re nonetheless combating for the league title, there are nonetheless loads of matches left. We’ve to maintain combating.”

Wednesday’s match was postponed as Barcelona had been among the many golf equipment given further time to relaxation after enjoying within the Champions League late into final season.

“We struggled within the first half regardless of controlling the sport,” Alba stated. “Leo’s objectives put us comfy within the second half after which we might add the third.”

Messi reached 18 league objectives together with his double, shifting two forward of Atlético Madrid’s Luis Suárez — his former Barcelona teammate — on the high of the scoring listing. The Argentina star has scored 13 objectives in his final 12 matches in all competitions, and 6 in his final 4.

Messi opened the scoring on the Camp Nou Stadium within the forty eighth minute with a shot from inside the world after a give-and-go alternate of passes with Martin Braithwaite, then added to the lead within the 68th after selecting up a go from Frenkie de Jong and keeping off just a few defenders earlier than discovering the web.

Alba closed the scoring within the 73rd after being arrange by Braithwaite and Messi.

It was a fourth loss in six matches for Elche, who dropped to second-to-last within the 20-team standings. They’d defeated Eibar within the earlier spherical to finish a 16-game winless streak within the league.

Barcelona’s subsequent two matches are in opposition to Sevilla — on Saturday in Seville within the Spanish league and on Wednesday at residence within the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. The Catalan membership misplaced the primary leg 2-0 away.

The second leg in opposition to PSG within the Champions League might be on 10 March in Paris.