Barcelona’s Lionel Messi came off the bench and helped the La Liga leader snatch a remarkable 4-4 draw at struggling Villarreal.
Lionel Messi
Villarreal:
The draw saw Barca’s lead over Atletico Madrid, which earlier won 2-0 at home to Girona, trimmed to eight points ahead of Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash at the Nou Camp. Barcelona has 70 points to Atletico’s 62, with eight games left. Even without Messi, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic in its starting line-up, the visitor strolled into the lead through a Philippe Coutinho goal in the 12th minute, which Brazilian forward Malcom soon doubled with a header.
But Villarreal hauled itself into contention with a strike from 19-year-old Samuel Chukwueze midway through the first half.
Cameroon striker Karl Toko Ekambi took advantage of slack positioning from Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and equalised soon after the interval. Vicente Iborra completed the home side’s remarkable revival just after the hour mark.
Barca’s talisman Messi was called from the bench to rescue the champion but instead Villarreal increased its lead with a strike from substitute Carlos Bacca. Villarreal’s Alvaro Gonzalez was then dismissed for a second booking with four minutes remaining. It paved the way for South Americans Messi and Suarez to strike for Barcelona and produce a remarkable finish.
Juve victory marred by racist chants
Juventus teenager Moise Kean appeared to suffer racist abuse after scoring a late goal to give the Turin side a 2-0 win at Cagliari in Serie A. Kean, who had been jeered throughout the game, turned in Rodrigo Bentancur’s cross with five minutes left and then stood in front of the Cagliari fans behind the goal and opened his arms. In response, the home supporters made the noise, which is described by media as ‘buu’ and is regarded as a racist insult in Italian football.
The away side was 2-4 down until 89 minutes, but managed to take home a point. The Catalans avoided a first league loss since November with a thumping left-foot strike from Luis Suarez deep into added time after Messi gave it hope with a deadly free-kick in the 90th minute.
The draw saw Barca’s lead over Atletico Madrid, which earlier won 2-0 at home to Girona, trimmed to eight points ahead of Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash at the Nou Camp. Barcelona has 70 points to Atletico’s 62, with eight games left. Even without Messi, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic in its starting line-up, the visitor strolled into the lead through a Philippe Coutinho goal in the 12th minute, which Brazilian forward Malcom soon doubled with a header.
But Villarreal hauled itself into contention with a strike from 19-year-old Samuel Chukwueze midway through the first half.
Cameroon striker Karl Toko Ekambi took advantage of slack positioning from Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and equalised soon after the interval. Vicente Iborra completed the home side’s remarkable revival just after the hour mark.
Barca’s talisman Messi was called from the bench to rescue the champion but instead Villarreal increased its lead with a strike from substitute Carlos Bacca. Villarreal’s Alvaro Gonzalez was then dismissed for a second booking with four minutes remaining. It paved the way for South Americans Messi and Suarez to strike for Barcelona and produce a remarkable finish.
Juve victory marred by racist chants
Juventus teenager Moise Kean appeared to suffer racist abuse after scoring a late goal to give the Turin side a 2-0 win at Cagliari in Serie A. Kean, who had been jeered throughout the game, turned in Rodrigo Bentancur’s cross with five minutes left and then stood in front of the Cagliari fans behind the goal and opened his arms. In response, the home supporters made the noise, which is described by media as ‘buu’ and is regarded as a racist insult in Italian football.