La Liga: Messi hits winner while Ronaldo hits five

Barca win 2-1 at Atletico while Portuguese becomes Real’s record scorer

MADRID: Lionel Messi celebrated the birth of his second son by coming off the bench to score the winner as Barcelona came from behind to claim a vital 2-1 win away at Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

Messi started on the sidelines having missed training on Friday to attend the birth, a day after returning from international duty.

He still managed to make the decisive contribution as he nonchalantly flicked home the winner 11 minutes from time after Neymar had cancelled out Fernando Torres’ opener.



Atletico struck first, six minutes after the break when Torres latched onto Tiago’s through ball and his shot found the net via the far post.

However, the lead lasted barely three minutes as Neymar struck a free-kick from the edge of the area into Oblak’s top right-hand corner.

Messi was introduced for the final half hour by Barca boss Luis Enrique, and he and Neymar combined to set up a great chance for Suarez only for the former Liverpool man to scuff wide.

Felipe Luis then made a desperate clearance off the line from Neymar as the pressure built from the European champions.

And it finally told when a neat exchange between Messi and Suarez freed the Argentine to lift the ball over Oblak into the far corner.

Record breaker Ronaldo hits five

Real Madrid remain two points behind Barca at the top of the table after Cristiano Ronaldo became the club’s all-time leading scorer in La Liga with five goals in a 6-0 rout of Espanyol.

Ronaldo silenced any critics about his lack of early season form by scoring five times in a La Liga match for the second time in five months.

New Real boss Rafael Benitez understandably enthused about the Portugal captain, who scored for the first time this season for club or country. “Someone who scores so many goals has their place in history forever like Raul or Di Stefano,” he said. “I think we are speaking of three historic players and I hope Cristiano continues adding to his tally.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th,  2015.

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