Tags
|
Barcelona ensured their best ever start to a Spanish league season thanks to a 2-0 win at Almeria yesterday, but the victory came at a cost as Lionel Messi was forced off with a thigh injury. |
The champions have now won their first seven league games for the first time in their history and 12 league games in a row stretching back to the end of last season.
Messi had fired the visitors into a 21st-minute lead with a sensational piece of play as he cut inside two defenders before curling the ball in off the far post from 20 yards. However, the Argentine had to be replaced six minutes later due to a hamstring problem that puts his participation Barca’s Champions League trip to Celtic on Tuesday in doubt.
And despite looking far from their fluent best without the World Player of the Year, Barca doubled their advantage when Adriano prodded home Cesc Fabregas’ cross early in the second-half.
Gerardo Martino continued with his policy of rotating his star names with Xavi and Neymar starting on the bench, but Barca still started the game strongly.
Andres Iniesta forced Esteban into a fine save after just six minutes with a left-footed volley form outside the area before Gerard Pique ought to have opened the scoring when he failed to properly connect with Messi’s free-kick at the back post seven minutes later.
Messi did then give Barca the lead with a sweet strike from the edge of the area to register his 11th goal of the season. He was clearly in some discomfort thereafter and was replaced by Xavi Hernandez.
“Messi has a muscular injury in his right thigh,” Barcelona said in a statement. “He will have more tests to discover the exact extent of the injury.”
The withdrawal of Messi understandably gave Almeria a huge boost and they finished the opening period stronger.
However, Rodri’s volley that Victor Valdes comfortably parried to safety was as close as they came to an equaliser.
Barca were more composed at the start of the second period and made the game safe 10 minutes after the restart when Cesc Fabregas’ low cross was turned home from close range by Adriano.
Defender Marc Bartra nearly sealed a fine individual display in the absence of Javier Mascherano when he shot into the side-netting 10 minutes from time before Cristian Tello also wasted a great opening in the dying stages as he fired off target.
There are no comments.
SPORT Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.
TECHNOLOGY Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education
CULTURE Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions
ARABIA The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged
ARABIA Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
ARABIA The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.
ECONOMY Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.
