Barcelona - NouCamp Faithful

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Barcelona 2 - 2 Valencia : Messi brace inspires Barcelona comeback in draw with Valencia

Lionel Messi scored either side of half-time to help Barcelona overturn a two-goal deficit and earn a 2-2 draw with Valencia at the Camp Nou on Saturday.

Valencia struck twice in eight first-half minutes, first through Kevin Gameiro and then via Dani Parejo's penalty, following a foul by Sergi Roberto.

But a foul by Toni Lato led to Messi halving the hosts' deficit six minutes before the interval with a spot kick of his own as the teams went to the dressing room with Valencia leading 2-1.

Messi then struck again in the 64th minute, curling in a shot from 20 yards after Arturo Vidal had laid the ball off to him at the top of the penalty area to bring Barca level at 2-2.

Neither team could find a winner in the remaining 30 minutes of the match, but the draw ensured Barca avoided a first league loss since November and took them to 50 points from 22 games.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 1 Real Madrid : Barcelona claim draw vs. Real Madrid in Copa del Rey semifinal first leg

(1st Leg)

Winger Malcom's second-half strike secured Barcelona a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid to leave the Copa del Rey semifinal evenly poised on Wednesday after the first leg.

Brazilian Malcom, who started in place of Lionel Messi, curled home in the 58th minute to pull Barcelona level after Lucas Vazquez had fired Real Madrid ahead early on.

Vazquez struck after just six minutes to silence the Nou Camp at the end of a slick team move, with Santiago Solari's side impressing in the opening stages.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Athletic Bilbao 0 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona held to draw despite Lionel Messi start

La Liga leaders Barcelona handed Real Madrid more hope in the title race as they drew 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, only avoiding defeat thanks to some outstanding saves by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The Germany keeper twice thwarted forward Inaki Williams and kept out a stinging drive from Markel Susaeta in an intense and entertaining game in which the champions came under heavy pressure throughout.

Barca top the standings with 51 points after 23 games, six ahead of a resurgent Real Madrid.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Real Valladolid : Barcelona earn ugly win against Real Valladolid with Messi penalty

Lionel Messi scored one penalty and missed another as Barcelona beat Real Valladolid 1-0 on Saturday to open up a seven-point lead at the top of La Liga.

The Catalans played far below their vibrant best but were not troubled by the visitors at the Nou Camp as they ended a run of three consecutive draws in all competitions.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Olympique Lyonnais 0 - 0 Barcelona : Barcelona play to goalless draw at Lyon in Round of 16

(1st Leg)

Barcelona were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Olympique Lyonnais in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday as both sides remained unbeaten in this season's competition.

The La Liga leaders dominated the match at the Groupama stadium but lacked accuracy up front and were grateful to their goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen who made two great saves.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Sevilla 2 - 4 Barcelona : Messi hat-trick inspires Barcelona to victory

Lionel Messi scored a hat trick to make it 36 goals in 35 games against Sevilla as Barcelona won 4-2 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium to go 10 points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.

Barca had twice been behind thanks to goals from Jesus Navas and Gabriel Mercado, but Messi twice brought them back into the contest before wrapping up his treble and then setting up Luis Suarez for a late fourth.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Madrid 0 - 3 Barcelona : Luis Suarez the hero as Barcelona beat Real Madrid, advance to Copa del Rey final

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

A clinical Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-0 away in an intense Copa del Rey semi-final, second leg on Wednesday as a Luis Suarez double helped them secure a 4-1 aggregate victory and a spot in the final for the sixth straight season.

A dominant yet wasteful Real ravaged their rivals in the first half while spurning a string of clear chances at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Yet Barca went ahead against the run of play in the 50th minute as Ousmane Dembele led a counter-attack and Suarez slotted his pass into the net.

Spearheaded by the pace and confidence of Brazilian teenager Vinicius Jr, Madrid continued to fly forward but failed to find the target.

Barca effectively killed off the tie when Raphael Varane bundled the ball into his own net as he tried to prevent Suarez reaching another cross from Dembele.

Suarez then earned a penalty and further humiliated Madrid by converting with an audacious 'Panenka', deceiving goalkeeper Keylor Navas by chipping the ball into the net.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Madrid 0 - 1 Barcelona : Barcelona beat Real Madrid for second consecutive Clasico win

La Liga leaders Barcelona won a tight and tense Clasico 1-0 at Real Madrid on Saturday, beating their great rivals at their Bernabeu home for the second time in four days and moving a staggering 12 points clear of them in the standings.

Croatia international Ivan Rakitic struck the only goal of the game midway through the first half, delivering an ice-cool finish over Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois after being played in by a clever pass by Sergi Roberto.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were largely kept quiet in a shy display from the champions in which their defenders Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet were the heroes instead, bravely putting their bodies in the way to snuff out Madrid.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Rayo Vallecano : Pique, Messi, Suarez score Barcelona's win

Lionel Messi created a goal and scored another as Barcelona came from behind to beat struggling Rayo Vallecano 3-1 at home on Saturday and stay seven points clear at the top of La Liga.

Rayo, who have now lost their last 12 games against Barca, took a shock lead midway through the first half when forward Raul de Tomas -- who is on loan from Real Madrid -- ran past two defenders before arrowing a shot into the bottom corner.

The Madrid side's unlikely lead at the Nou Camp lasted a quarter of an hour and ended when Messi whipped in a free kick for Gerard Pique to appear unmarked and head home.

Barca won a penalty early in the second half when Luis Suarez was fouled and Messi converted to put the league leaders in front and the Uruguayan forward made sure of the points with a simple finish from close range in the 82nd minute.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 1 Olympique Lyonnais : Lionel Messi's brace guides Barcelona past Lyon, into quarters

(2nd Leg : Barcelona wins 5-1 on agg)

Lionel Messi lead the way with two goals and two assists as Barcelona reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League in style by thrashing Olympique Lyonnais 5-1 at home on Wednesday and advancing by the same scoreline on aggregate.

Barca captain Messi opened the scoring with a "Panenka" penalty chipped straight down the middle in the 17th minute after Luis Suarez was fouled in the area, putting the home side ahead in the tie after a goalless first leg in France.

Suarez then rounded Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to lay on a perfect pass for the unmarked Philippe Coutinho to nudge into an open net and double Barca's lead, although Lyon hauled themselves back into contention with a second-half strike from Lucas Tousart.

Messi soon killed off any hopes of an unlikely comeback from the French side, however, carving his way through the defence to score in the 78th minute before toying with Lyon's back line twice more and laying off passes for Gerard Pique and then Ousmane Dembele to complete the rout.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Real Betis 1 - 4 Barcelona : Marvellous Messi hits hat trick

Lionel Messi was lauded by opposition supporters on Sunday after he scored an outstanding hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-1 win at Real Betis, which put the Catalans 10 points clear at the top of La Liga with 10 games remaining.

With Barca's nearest challengers Atletico Madrid falling to a 2-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao the previous day, Messi got Barca off to an ideal start by drilling a free kick into the top corner of the net in the 18th minute.

The Argentine put Barca further at ease with another strike at the end of the first half, finishing off a backheeled pass from Luis Suarez as the two South American forwards carved their way through Betis's defence.

Uruguay forward Suarez had missed several clear chances to score but he finally got his reward for a lively performance with a goal in the 63rd minute, dancing past four Betis players on a dazzling run which began in his own half.

Loren Moron pulled one back for Betis in the 82nd minute but Messi replied with a sumptuous first-time lob in off the crossbar to complete his treble and the Betis supporters responded by chanting the Argentine's name and bowing down to him.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Espanyol : Messi reaches 40-goal mark as Barcelona beat Espanyol

Lionel Messi scored twice to earn Barcelona a 2-0 derby win over Espanyol and keep them 10 points clear at the top of La Liga.

A dull match was decided by Barcelona's No. 10, who lofted home a free kick after 71 minutes and slotted in from substitute Malcom's cross towards the end.

Messi, who now has 40 goals in all competitions this season, suffered criticism in his native Argentina after withdrawing from a friendly against Morocco because of a groin problem, but was hailed by Barcelona fans after taking them one step closer to retaining the title.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Villarreal 4 - 4 Barcelona : Messi and Suarez rescue Barcelona in thrilling draw

Barcelona's Lionel Messi came off the bench to help the Liga leaders battle back from 4-2 down in stoppage time to snatch a remarkable 4-4 draw at struggling Villarreal on Tuesday.

The Catalans avoided a first league loss since November with a last-gasp Luis Suarez strike after captain and top scorer Messi gave them hope with a deadly free kick in the 90th minute.

Even without Messi, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic in their starting lineup, the visitors still strolled into the lead through a Philippe Coutinho goal in the 12th minute, which Brazilian forward Malcom soon doubled with a header.

But Villarreal, who began the game hovering one point above the relegation zone, hauled themselves 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 to equalise soon after the interval and Vicente Iborra completed the home side's remarkable revival just after the hour mark.

Messi was called from the bench to rescue the champions but instead Villarreal increased their lead with a strike from their substitute Carlos Bacca.

Alvaro Gonzalez was then dismissed for Villarreal for a second booking with four minutes remaining, paving the way for Messi and Suarez to strike for Barca and produce a remarkable finish to an enthralling contest.

The draw resulted in Barca's lead over nearest challengers Atletico Madrid, who had earlier won 2-0 at home to lowly Girona, being trimmed to eight points ahead of Saturday's top-of-the-table showdown at the Nou Camp.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Atletico Madrid : Messi sets La Liga wins mark as Barcelona increase La Liga lead to 11 points

Lionel Messi set a new La Liga wins mark while Barcelona increased their commanding lead to 11 points with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou on Saturday.

Diego Costa was given a straight red card in the opening half-hour for a derogatory comment about referee Jesus Gil Manzano's mother, putting Diego Simeone's men a man down in what was a must-win game to keep any realistic title hopes alive.

Atletico produced a gutsy second-half display, expertly shackling Barca, but the Catalans finally found a way past the visitors' outstanding goalkeeper Jan Oblak with a superb curling shot from Suarez in the 85th minute.

Moments later Messi sealed victory and quite probably the league title with an irresistibly cool finish into the net and Barca's fans jubilantly chanted "champions", crowing at their surely unassailable lead at the top with seven games remaining.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Manchester United 0 - 1 Barcelona : Barcelona earn narrow win over Manchester United in quarterfinal first leg

(1st Leg)

Barcelona overcame a tame Manchester United to take the upper hand in their Champions League quarterfinal after Luke Shaw's own goal gave them a 1-0 first-leg victory at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Shaw deflected a Luis Suarez header into his own net after 12 minutes, handing the Catalans a vital away goal that will make them clear favourites in the return leg.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)