Barcelona - NouCamp Faithful

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Barcelona 6 - 1 Girona : Lionel Messi stellar in Barcelona win as Luis Suarez nets hat trick

Luis Suarez fired a hat-trick and Lionel Messi a brace as Barcelona ran riot in a 6-1 win against Girona to stay on course for their 25th La Liga title.

Suarez and Messi both struck first-half doubles to take the game away from Girona, who paid for the impudence of taking a third-minute lead through Portu in their first visit to the Nou Camp.

Philippe Coutinho got in on the act in the second period with a brilliant fifth from 25 yards -- his first La Liga goal -- before Suarez, who also hit a post, completed his hat trick.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Las Palmas 1 - 1 Barcelona : Barcelona draw after Las Palmas net controversial penalty

Barcelona dropped points for the third time in their last five La Liga games as they drew 1-1 at struggling Las Palmas.

Ernesto Valverde's team remain unbeaten in their domestic division but now own just a five-point advantage ahead of hosting second-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

They went ahead through Lionel Messi's free kick yet a controversially-awarded penalty, either for Sergi Roberto's tug on Matias Aguirregaray or a Lucas Digne handball, was converted by Jonathan Calleri as Las Palmas claimed a point against Barca for the first time since 2002.

The decision was the first penalty to be whistled against Barcelona in La Liga since February 2016, 79 matches ago.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Atletico Madrid : Lionel Messi scores 600th goal

Lionel Messi's 600th career goal sank Atletico Madrid 1-0 and ensured Barcelona stretched their lead at the top of La Liga to eight points.

Messi scored from a free kick as Barca edged past their nearest rivals to take a huge stride towards regaining the title.

Atletico had clawed back the lead to just five points but could not secure a victory that would have reduced the deficit to two.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Málaga 0 - 2 Barcelona : Suarez, Coutinho score as Messi-less Barcelona open 11-point lead

Barcelona tightened their grip at the top of La Liga with a 2-0 win at bottom club Malaga, who played for an hour with 10 men.

Even without star man Lionel Messi, who was with his wife following the birth of their third son, Barcelona had too much for the hosts.

Luis Suarez headed in a fine opener after 15 minutes before Philippe Coutinho added a second with a neat flick and Malaga midfielder Samuel Garcia saw red following a rash tackle from behind on Jordi Alba.

The comfortable victory leaves Barca 11 points clear of Atletico Madrid, who host Celta Vigo on Sunday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Chelsea : Lionel Messi gets 100th UCL goal

(2nd Leg : Barcelona wins 4-1 on agg)

Two goals from Lionel Messi -- one the fastest of his career and the other his 100th in the Champions League -- helped Barcelona beat Chelsea 3-0 at the Camp Nou and advance to the quarterfinals 4-1 on aggregate.

The scoreline was harsh on Chelsea, who created sustained spells of pressure but were unable to find the sort of cutting edge displayed by Messi and Ousmane Dembele, the home side's other scorer.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[SnowLeopards]

Chelsea was by miles the better team and Barcelona certainly did not deserve to progress.

Hope the team has the same luck in the upcoming matches.

Pierre.

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Athletic Bilbao : Lionel Messi again reaches 25 league goals

Lionel Messi scored for the sixth consecutive game in all competitions as Barcelona tightened their grip in the title race with a 2-0 La Liga win over Athletic Bilbao.

Messi reached 25 league goals for the ninth consecutive season and took his tally in all competitions to 38 with a fine finish from the edge of the penalty area.

Paco Alcácer had already given the hosts the lead at the Camp Nou, and the leaders went on to canter to a routine victory against an Athletic side grateful they were not more soundly beaten.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Sevilla 2 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi nets last-minute Barcelona equaliser in draw

Lionel Messi came off the bench to net a stunning last-minute equaliser as La Liga leaders Barcelona fought back from two-goals down to draw 2-2 at Sevilla.

Coach Ernesto Valverde had opted to start without Messi, who has been carrying a hamstring problem, on the bench, but it was defensive frailties which were brutally exposed at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Franco Vazquez fired the home side, who are chasing a top-five finish, into the lead after 36 minutes and there looked no way back when Colombia forward Luis Muriel added another early in the second half.

Barca's talisman was sent on for the last 30 minutes and after Sevilla had missed several chances to kill off the match, Luis Suarez set up a grandstand finish before Messi clipped in a dramatic equaliser.

The draw saw Valverde's men extend their unbeaten La Liga run to 37 matches and edged them closer to regaining the title.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[ThisIsMelwood]

Roma send Barcelona out of Champions League: 'Debacle', 'ridicule', 'fall of an empire'

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43720569

I was stumped by Barcelona exit with Messi and Suarez in the team.

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Barcelona 4 - 1 AS Roma : Two Roma own goals help Barcelona to home victory in first leg

(1st Leg)

A pair of own goals helped Barcelona take a major step toward the Champions League semifinals with a 4-1 win over Roma at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez added second-half goals either side of Edin Dzeko's response for Roma as Barcelona grabbed the advantage after the first leg of the quarterfinal.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Leganes : Barcelona tie La Liga record as Lionel Messi hat trick downs Leganes

Lionel Messi fired a hat trick as Barcelona took another big step towards the La Liga title with a 3-1 home win against Leganes.

Messi opened the scoring with a fine free kick, struck his second before half-time and sealed the win in the closing stages with his 39th goal of the season in all competitions after Nabil El Zhar had pulled one back.

Ernesto Valverde's side moved 12 points clear at the top of the table, extended their unbeaten league run this season to 31 matches and equalled Real Sociedad's 38-year-old record of 38 La Liga games without defeat.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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AS Roma 3 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona crash out of Champions League after shock loss to Roma

(2nd Leg : Tied 4-4 on agg. AS Roma wins on away goals rule))

Barcelona suffered a shock Champions League defeat at the hands of Roma, losing 3-0 in their quarterfinal second leg at the Stadio Olimpico to go out 4-4 on aggregate thanks to an away goal for the Serie A side in the first leg.

Kostas Manolas scored the late goal that handed Barcelona just their fourth loss of the season in all competitions and first in the Champions League this campaign, while ending any hopes of a Treble for Ernesto Valverde's team.

Trailing 4-1 after the first leg, Roma went ahead on the night after six minutes as Edin Dzeko latched on to Daniele De Rossi's long-range pass before poking the ball beyond Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

De Rossi doubled their lead from the penalty spot after Dzeko had been brought down in the box early in the second half and Kostas Manolas headed in late on to clinch Roma's spot in the final four.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Originally Posted by ThisIsMelwood

Roma send Barcelona out of Champions League: 'Debacle', 'ridicule', 'fall of an empire'

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43720569

I was stumped by Barcelona exit with Messi and Suarez in the team.

I was even more stumped with AS Roma impressive fightback!

They didn't play too badly in the 1st Leg at Camp Nou. Was unlucky with the two own goals.

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Barcelona 2 - 1 Valencia : Barcelona beat Valencia to set new La Liga record unbeaten streak

Barcelona broke a 38-year-old La Liga record on Saturday as they extended their unbeaten streak in Spain's top flight to 39 games by beating Valencia 2-1 at the Camp Nou.

Luis Suarez opened the scoring with 15 minutes on the clock before Samuel Umtiti doubled the lead early in the second half as Barca bounced back from their Champions League exit at the hands of Roma.

Daniel Parejo pulled a goal for the visitors from the penalty spot in the closing moments, but that couldn't stop Barca sealing a win that stretches their lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of the table to 14 points.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Celta Vigo 2 - 2 Barcelona : Barcelona settle for draw at Celta Vigo after Sergi Roberto sent off

Barcelona's charge towards the La Liga title was held up after a much-changed side was held to a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo, where Sergi Roberto was sent off with his side's first league red card in over a year.

With one eye on Saturday's Copa del Rey final against Sevilla, Ernesto Valverde started with both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on the bench while Gerard Pique and Andreas Iniesta were rested.

Ousmane Dembele fired Barca ahead with his first La Liga goal before defender Jonny Castro Otto equalised on the stroke of half-time.

Paco Alcacer put the visitors ahead again just after the hour, by which time Messi had been sent on, but Roberto saw red on 71 minutes for pulling down Iago Aspas, who made it 2-2 with eight minutes left.

Celta substitute Lucas Boye saw a late effort cleared off the line as Barca held out to extend their unbeaten run to 40 matches and move 12 points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand.

Barcelona also set a new La Liga record by going 33 games unbeaten to start a season.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)