Messi goes past Pele, Real pip Levante
13 Nov 2012 7:04 AM IST
Lionel Messi struck twice as leaders Barcelona survived a second-half spellof pressure at Mallorca to win 4-2 and strengthen their position at the top of La Liga on Sunday.
Xavi Hernandez, Messi and Cristian Tello got first-half goals for the Catalans before Victor Casadesus and Michael Pereira reduced the lead after the interval. Messi then hit his fifteenth in the league to wrap up the game and make it 76 goals now in 2012, beating Pele’s tally of 75 from 1958 and taking him to within nine of Gerd Muller’s all time record total of 85 set in 1972.
The win increases Barca’s lead to six points at the top, ahead of games for Atletico and Real Madrid, who sit 2nd and 3rd, later on Sunday. Barca made five changes from the side that had lost 2-1 to Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, David Villa and Tello all starting. The visitors began slowly and Mallorca enjoyed the better early chances.
Barca keeper Valdes was alert to tip wide a header from Israeli international Tomer Hemed on 22 minutes. However, five minutes later Barca were ahead when Xavi curled a perfect free-kick over the defensive wall after Jose Luis Marti fouled Fabregas on the left edge of the area. Mallorca centre-half Pedro Geromel saved an almost certain second on 34 minutes when a Tello cross was about to find Villa in front of an open goal.
Barca were now on top and looking to add to their lead and did so on 43 minutes when Messi went on a run and hit a well struck shot - though Dudu Aouate in the Mallorca goal should have done better than allow the ball to squirm out of his hands and into the net. A minute later and Tello controlled a pass on the left-wing before cutting inside and unleashing a right-footed drive that went across Aouate and into the far corner.
Half-time arrived and Barca suddenly had a three-goal cushion they hardly deserved. Mallorca began to find their way back into it early in the second-half, however. A Casadesus drive was blocked by Fabregas before Michael Pereira converted a right wing cross to reduce the lead on 55 minutes. Two minutes later Busquets’ outstretched hand made enough contact with the ball for the referee to award a penalty that Casadesus converted to reduce the arrears to 3-2.
Mallorca rallied without really causing too much trouble before Messi smashed home his second on 76 minutes to make the game safe after Alexis Sanchez had cleverly chested a cross into his path.
Earlier on Sunday Athletic Bilbao battled to a hard fought 2-1 win over Sevilla despite finishing the game with ten men. Oscar de Marcos put Bilbao ahead on 27 minutes side-footing home a cross from Jon Aurtenetxe before Markel Susaeta doubled the lead just before the interval.
LATE MORATA WINNER KEEPS REAL IN HUNT
Youngster Alvaro Morata came off the bench to head home a crucial winner as Real Madrid won 2-1 at Levante on Sunday. He had only been on the pitch for one minute when he guided a Xabi Alonso free-kick home for his first league goal for the club in challenging conditions.
Angel Rodriguez had earlier struck a second-half equaliser to level Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener and it seemed Madrid would rue a missed penalty by Alonso. Morata’s 84th minute header was vital for Madrid to stay in touch with both leaders Barcelona and city rivals Atletico Madrid who had won earlier in the day.
The win means Real remain eight points behind Barca who won 4-2 at Mallorca while Atletico remain second, three points behind the leaders, after beating Getafe 2-0 at home. Jose Mourinho welcomed back Fabio Coentrao to the starting eleven for the first time since late August, allowing Sergio Ramos to move back to the centre of defence after a spell helping out at right-back. Levante had the brighter opening, carving out a number of chances before Ronaldo opened the scoring.
The Portuguese star had suffered a cut above his eye on 3 minutes after a clash with David Navarro and his team was struggling to come to terms with the wet conditions. However when the ball dropped to him from a defensive clearance on 21 minutes he did not hesitate before thumping a volley home.
Xavi Hernandez, Messi and Cristian Tello got first-half goals for the Catalans before Victor Casadesus and Michael Pereira reduced the lead after the interval. Messi then hit his fifteenth in the league to wrap up the game and make it 76 goals now in 2012, beating Pele’s tally of 75 from 1958 and taking him to within nine of Gerd Muller’s all time record total of 85 set in 1972.
The win increases Barca’s lead to six points at the top, ahead of games for Atletico and Real Madrid, who sit 2nd and 3rd, later on Sunday. Barca made five changes from the side that had lost 2-1 to Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, David Villa and Tello all starting. The visitors began slowly and Mallorca enjoyed the better early chances.
Barca keeper Valdes was alert to tip wide a header from Israeli international Tomer Hemed on 22 minutes. However, five minutes later Barca were ahead when Xavi curled a perfect free-kick over the defensive wall after Jose Luis Marti fouled Fabregas on the left edge of the area. Mallorca centre-half Pedro Geromel saved an almost certain second on 34 minutes when a Tello cross was about to find Villa in front of an open goal.
Barca were now on top and looking to add to their lead and did so on 43 minutes when Messi went on a run and hit a well struck shot - though Dudu Aouate in the Mallorca goal should have done better than allow the ball to squirm out of his hands and into the net. A minute later and Tello controlled a pass on the left-wing before cutting inside and unleashing a right-footed drive that went across Aouate and into the far corner.
Half-time arrived and Barca suddenly had a three-goal cushion they hardly deserved. Mallorca began to find their way back into it early in the second-half, however. A Casadesus drive was blocked by Fabregas before Michael Pereira converted a right wing cross to reduce the lead on 55 minutes. Two minutes later Busquets’ outstretched hand made enough contact with the ball for the referee to award a penalty that Casadesus converted to reduce the arrears to 3-2.
Mallorca rallied without really causing too much trouble before Messi smashed home his second on 76 minutes to make the game safe after Alexis Sanchez had cleverly chested a cross into his path.
Earlier on Sunday Athletic Bilbao battled to a hard fought 2-1 win over Sevilla despite finishing the game with ten men. Oscar de Marcos put Bilbao ahead on 27 minutes side-footing home a cross from Jon Aurtenetxe before Markel Susaeta doubled the lead just before the interval.
LATE MORATA WINNER KEEPS REAL IN HUNT
Youngster Alvaro Morata came off the bench to head home a crucial winner as Real Madrid won 2-1 at Levante on Sunday. He had only been on the pitch for one minute when he guided a Xabi Alonso free-kick home for his first league goal for the club in challenging conditions.
Angel Rodriguez had earlier struck a second-half equaliser to level Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener and it seemed Madrid would rue a missed penalty by Alonso. Morata’s 84th minute header was vital for Madrid to stay in touch with both leaders Barcelona and city rivals Atletico Madrid who had won earlier in the day.
The win means Real remain eight points behind Barca who won 4-2 at Mallorca while Atletico remain second, three points behind the leaders, after beating Getafe 2-0 at home. Jose Mourinho welcomed back Fabio Coentrao to the starting eleven for the first time since late August, allowing Sergio Ramos to move back to the centre of defence after a spell helping out at right-back. Levante had the brighter opening, carving out a number of chances before Ronaldo opened the scoring.
The Portuguese star had suffered a cut above his eye on 3 minutes after a clash with David Navarro and his team was struggling to come to terms with the wet conditions. However when the ball dropped to him from a defensive clearance on 21 minutes he did not hesitate before thumping a volley home.
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