Barcelona 2-1 Alaves: 5 Talking Points
Lionel Messi’s stunning free-kick completed a late Barcelona comeback as they beat Alaves 2-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday night.
The Vitoria-based side were looking for a second straight win at the home of the champions-elect, having come out on top by the same score last season. John Guidetti’s first-half strike set them on their way, but Luis Suarez struck before Messi stepped forward and saved the day again.
Barcelona are now 28 games unbeaten and 11 points clear at the top of the table. Here are five talking points from a dramatic night.
#1 A familiar story for Magic Messi
For long periods, it looked as though history would repeat itself for Alaves. They were leading, defending well and putting in the kind of brave performance that has seen their season resurrected by coach Abelardo. However, keeping Messi quiet is impossible, and it was his 20th LaLiga goal of the season that proved the difference in the end.
He’d gone close with a freekick in the first half, but Alaves goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco tipped it onto the post brilliantly. However, he stepped up when it counted, with another special set piece just six minutes from time. An effort of supreme accuracy proved too powerful for his first half nemesis Pacheco at a crucial time.
Andres Iniesta, too, put in a rather familiar performance in the end. The 33-year-old completed 90 minutes for just the second time all season, but at no point did he look jaded, dancing through the Alaves midfield into the dying embers of the game. It was his run and cross that set Suarez up for the equaliser.