Lionel Messi struck twice as Barcelona won 4-0 at Levante to remain three points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga. Messi’s goals were both laid on by Andres Iniesta who also hit the target himself before supplying Cesc Fabregas for the fourth on Monday.
The Argentine’s brace means he now has 82 goals in 2012, just six short of German legend Gerd Mueller’s all-time calendar record set in 1972. He also tops the La Liga chart for the season with 19 goals.
Atletico had earlier beaten Sevilla 4-0 to keep pace at the top and go eight points ahead of city rivals Real Madrid who had lost 1-0 at Betis on Saturday. Barca’s win increases their gap over Real Madrid to 11 points.
Barca had struggled in the first half and their cause was not helped by losing Dani Alves after only 13 minutes with what appeared to be a recurrence of a recent hamstring injury. Alves was replaced by Martin Montoya.
Jose Maria Barkero had the best chance of the opening exchanges for Levante, drawing Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes into a save with a 12th-minute drive. Barca took 10 minutes to react with Messi hitting a low shot that just went wide, a minute before Xavi Hernandez hit a similar drive that went to the left. The Catalans’ intricate build-up play was comfortably contained by solid defending from the home team in a tight first period.
Levante, in the meantime, looked dangerous on the counter-attack and Obafemi Martins narrowly glanced a header wide just before half-time. However, Barca finally found a way through just after the break and it was from a perfectly threaded pass from Iniesta that allowed Messi to coolly slot home. Five minutes later, Iniesta pulled back the ball for Messi to double the lead.
Another five minutes had passed before Iniesta buried Levante’s challenge for good with a drive from the edge of the area. The fourth came on the 63rd minute, this time Fabregas was given the simple task of finishing off another Iniesta pass.
Barca had solved what had at first seemed a difficult task with four goals in 18 second-half minutes and for Levante there was no way back. Valdes made matters worse for the home side by making a double save from a Barkero penalty in the dying minutes after Carles Puyol handled the ball in the area.
For Atletico, Radamel Falcao, Arda Turan and Koke got first-half goals and Miranda scored in the last minute to make it seven straight home wins in the league against a Sevilla side that played with only 10 men from the 22nd minute and finished with nine.
Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo La Coruna shared points in a 1-1 draw in the San Mames stadium. Oscar de Marcos put the home side ahead on 24 minutes when he converted a Markel Susaeta cross, but against the run of play Abel Aguilar hit an equaliser early in the second-half to earn Deportivo a point and move his side out of the relegation zone. Getafe won 2-0 at Espanyol to keep the Barcelona side at bottom of the table, two points behind Deportivo.
The Argentine’s brace means he now has 82 goals in 2012, just six short of German legend Gerd Mueller’s all-time calendar record set in 1972. He also tops the La Liga chart for the season with 19 goals.
Atletico had earlier beaten Sevilla 4-0 to keep pace at the top and go eight points ahead of city rivals Real Madrid who had lost 1-0 at Betis on Saturday. Barca’s win increases their gap over Real Madrid to 11 points.
Barca had struggled in the first half and their cause was not helped by losing Dani Alves after only 13 minutes with what appeared to be a recurrence of a recent hamstring injury. Alves was replaced by Martin Montoya.
Jose Maria Barkero had the best chance of the opening exchanges for Levante, drawing Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes into a save with a 12th-minute drive. Barca took 10 minutes to react with Messi hitting a low shot that just went wide, a minute before Xavi Hernandez hit a similar drive that went to the left. The Catalans’ intricate build-up play was comfortably contained by solid defending from the home team in a tight first period.
Levante, in the meantime, looked dangerous on the counter-attack and Obafemi Martins narrowly glanced a header wide just before half-time. However, Barca finally found a way through just after the break and it was from a perfectly threaded pass from Iniesta that allowed Messi to coolly slot home. Five minutes later, Iniesta pulled back the ball for Messi to double the lead.
Another five minutes had passed before Iniesta buried Levante’s challenge for good with a drive from the edge of the area. The fourth came on the 63rd minute, this time Fabregas was given the simple task of finishing off another Iniesta pass.
Barca had solved what had at first seemed a difficult task with four goals in 18 second-half minutes and for Levante there was no way back. Valdes made matters worse for the home side by making a double save from a Barkero penalty in the dying minutes after Carles Puyol handled the ball in the area.
For Atletico, Radamel Falcao, Arda Turan and Koke got first-half goals and Miranda scored in the last minute to make it seven straight home wins in the league against a Sevilla side that played with only 10 men from the 22nd minute and finished with nine.
Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo La Coruna shared points in a 1-1 draw in the San Mames stadium. Oscar de Marcos put the home side ahead on 24 minutes when he converted a Markel Susaeta cross, but against the run of play Abel Aguilar hit an equaliser early in the second-half to earn Deportivo a point and move his side out of the relegation zone. Getafe won 2-0 at Espanyol to keep the Barcelona side at bottom of the table, two points behind Deportivo.