[ad_1]
Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona overcame an uninspiring first half to beat struggling Elche 3-0 at residence in La Liga on Wednesday and maintain the leaders Atlético Madrid of their sights.
The house aspect created little in considered one of their worst first-half shows on the Camp Nou this season however discovered a breakthrough early within the second half when Martin Braithwaite launched Messi with an aesthetic back-heel and the Argentinian did the remaining.
Barcelona, who failed to carry on to a slim lead in a 1-1 draw at residence in opposition to Cádiz on Sunday, obtained an all-important second aim within the 69th minute when Frenkie de Jong acquired the ball after some intelligent play from Pedri. The Dutchman burst by way of the center of the pitch and laid the ball off for Messi to complete. It was his 18th league aim of the season, extending his lead on the high of the scoring charts.
The left-back Jordi Alba struck the third aim from one other Braithwaite help to spherical off a victory which took Ronald Koeman’s aspect again above Sevilla and as much as third within the La Liga desk on 50 factors, 5 behind Atlético however having performed a recreation extra.
The irritating residence draw on Sunday had interrupted a seven-game successful run within the league and added to the ache of a 4-1 routing at residence by Paris Saint-Germain within the Champions League final week.
“This can assist our confidence rather a lot,” mentioned Alba. “The draw was an enormous blow to the entire workforce and confirmed that if we’re not at our 100% greatest we discover it very exhausting to win. We struggled on Sunday and within the first half right here too however we had been higher within the second and the objectives arrived.”
The hosts regarded shaken by their current type in an insipid first half throughout which they had been lucky to not fall behind when the Argentinian ahead Lucas Boyé caught a transparent sight of aim inside the realm for Elche however blasted over the bar.
Francisco Trinçao was Barça’s liveliest participant within the first half and the Portuguese winger was twice denied by the Elche keeper Édgar Badía, who additionally did properly to maintain out a header from De Jong, with Alba by some means lacking the goal on the rebound.
Barça regained their composure after the break and opened the scoring because of intelligent mixture play between Braithwaite and Messi however had been let off the hook moments later when Boyé once more missed the goal for Elche, who keep within the backside three after defeat.
Messi’s second aim calmed their nerves they usually had been hungry for extra even after Alba’s strike. The substitute Antoine Griezmann hammered the crossbar from simply inside the realm after which missed the goal from a fair simpler place moments later.
[ad_2]
Source link