adminMadrid. — Barcelona closed in on the La Liga title by thrashing local rivals Espanyol 5-0 yesterday as Atletico Madrid dropped out of the race after losing 2-1 at Levante and Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-2. Barca top the standings on 88 points, Real moved into second on 87 and Atletico have 85 with one game remaining. Luis Suarez stretched the hosts’ lead with two goals in the second half before Rafinha and Neymar completed the rout.
Suarez has certainly made up for the heartbreak of missing out on the Premier League with Liverpool two seasons ago. He won La Liga in his first season, and his 37 league goals this campaign have left Barça needing just three more points next week against Granada to be crowned Champions.
Messi got the first with a free-kick that left Pau Lopez with no chance. The Espanyol goalkeeper had been whistled every time he touched the ball after he stamped on Messi in a Copa del Rey game in January; the Nou Camp does not forget such things.
Messi took revenge in his own inimitable style, flashing a free-kick from the edge of the area past the Espanyol goalkeeper. It was his 26th goal in the league and his fourth free-kick goal of the season – no one has done that since Ronaldinho in the 2006-07 season.
It was nearly 2-0 when Pau Lopez saved Suarez’s shot and Messi thumped the rebound in off of Ivan Rakitic. The goal was chalked out after the flag was raised for offside but with two Espanyol players down and appearing to play Barca’s goal on, it looked a harsh call.
Barcelona were in show-boating mood in the next ten minutes with flicks, tricks and one ‘rabona’ cross from Neymyar as they turned on the style but they needed a second goal and it did not come.
Atletico took the lead at Levante in the first minute through Fernando Torres, but the relegated home side fought back, equalising through Victor Casadesus before Giuseppe Rossi grabbed the winner in stoppage time.
Real were without goalkeeper Keylor Navas, defender Dani Carvajal, midfielder Luka Modric and winger Gareth Bale through injury, but went ahead thanks to a thunderous low finish from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 26th minute.
Karim Benzema scored the second before the break but Rodrigo Moreno, who was later sent off, pulled one back for Valencia after half-time.
Ronaldo added his second a few minutes later before Andre Gomes scored a sumptuous consolation goal for Valencia.
It really is all about the undecima, the 11th Champions League trophy, for Madrid, with their continued participation in the title race an unexpected but welcome bonus. Partly earned by Zidane, partly gifted by Barcelona losing control and burning up their own lead.
But in a table of matches after the Frenchman took over, Real Madrid would be top. Valencia too, would be riding high, finally finding form after Pako Ayestaran took over following the ill-fated Gary Neville era.
Valencia were sturdy in the opening stages, shutting down Madrid’s forwards without much fuss, but eventually they cracked, when Marcelo fed Ronaldo, who made a driving run across the Valencia box before lashing a low drive across Diego Alves and into the far corner. It was Ronaldo’s second chance of the game, the first one well saved by Alves from close range, and he wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. It was also Ronaldo’s 23rd goal in his 23rd game of 2016, his 32nd of the league season, later followed by his 33rd.
Lucas Vazquez, standing in for Bale, nearly made it two after half an hour, when his downward header was tipped round the post by Alves. It nearly was a good imitation of Bale, who has scored more headers than anyone else in Europe this season.
Valencia should have equalised before half-time though, when both Dani Parejo and Joao Cancelo missed huge chances, with Kiko Casilla taken out of the game by Paco Alcacer’s cut-back. — Reuters/Daily Mail.
Online Reporter