Madrid (AFP)
Of a delightful ladle for Arturo Vidal then a doubled, Lionel Messi has offered to Barcelona against Valladolid (5-1) Tuesday the head of the Championship ahead of Granada and Atlético, held in check against Alavés (1-1).
A precarious throne for the Blaugrana: the surprising team of Grenada can resume the orders in case of victory in Getafe Thursday.
Although, with the postponement of the clasico, scheduled last weekend, to December 18 because of violence in Catalonia, Barça (1st, 22 pts) has one game less.
His last outing was the painful success against Slavia Prague (2-1) in C1 last Wednesday, this time the players Ernesto Valverde were much more convincing and they still owe the same little Argentine genius.
Tied after two fouls on set kicks that gave a first Catalan goal, scored by Clément Lenglet (2nd), and another of Valladolid (15th), also scored by a defender, Kiko, Barcelona relied to the magic of Messi.
The Pulga first enchanted Camp Nou with a ladle over defense for midfielder Arturo Vidal who, in extension, folded the ball in the nets (29th).
Before registering the 50th direct free kick of his career (including six with Argentina), according to the statistician Opta, a shot perfectly wound in the left corner of poor Jordi Masip (34th) who still had to bow twice.
First on a dry cross shot of Messi (75th) then a shot placed Luis Suarez (77th), well launched in the depth by ... Messi.
- Sad draw for Atlético -
The Argentinian has signed two goals and two assists in this offensive Catalan festival, much more spectacular than the sad draw conceded by Atletico Madrid at the Basques Deportivo Alavès (1-1) earlier Tuesday.
Very unspecified, as often in recent weeks, with no shots framed in the first half, Diego Simeone's men thought they were doing the hardest by opening the score in a lightning strike by Alvaro Morata (69 '), before cracking on a firecracker. Lucas Perez who adjusted Jan Oblak (83).
A pure strike but aided by the indolence of the Colchoneros midfielder, which provoked a pout from their coach Diego Simeone, not used to such passivity on the part of his players.
Deportivo Alavés is only the 4th team to score a goal in the best defense of Liga this season, which has conceded only 6.
Betrayed by its traditional defensive solidity, Atleti can hardly rely on his offensive creativity, the weak point of the Colchoneros: only 6 teams Liga had scored less than them before tonight.
Only satisfaction in attack, Alvaro Morata scored again, in a third match in a row, after Leverkusen a week ago in the Champions League and Bilbao on Saturday.
And his connection with Argentina's Angel Correa can do wonders, as on the opening scoring: after a subtle deviation of the chest, Morata solicited the one-two with Correa and adjusted Pacheco.
Entry, less than ten minutes before this goal, Morata also missed the match during the huge hard time that followed stopping on the Basque keeper Fernando Pacheco (71), as Correa in stride. A lack of unusual realism for the Cholo troops.
"Their goalkeeper kept Alavès alive because if we had scored the second goal, the match would have been almost completed," said Simeone.
The return of their jewel Joao Felix, recruited this summer against a check to nine figures (126 M EUR) to take over the role of Antoine Griezmann, gone to Barcelona, becomes urgent.
The Portuguese teenager (19 years old), hit on an ankle on 19 October, is expected on the ground in early November by the Madrid coaching.
Meanwhile, with this point of the draw, the Colchoneros (3rd, 20 pts) are within reach of Real Madrid (6th, 18 pts) who receives tomorrow Leganés at Bernabeu.
Results of the 11th day of the Spanish Football Championship:
Tuesday
Alavés - Atlético Madrid 1 - 1
Barcelona - Valladolid 5 - 1
Wednesday
(18h00 GMT) Real Sociedad - Levante
Valencia CF - Seville
(19h00 GMT) Athletic Bilbao - Espanyol Barcelona
(20h00 GMT) Betis Seville - Celta Vigo
(20:15 GMT) Real Madrid - Leganés
Thursday
(18h00 GMT) Mallorca - Osasuna
Eibar - Villarreal
(20:15 GMT) Getafe - Grenada
© 2019 AFP