Barcelona - NouCamp Faithful

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PSV Eindhoven 1 - 2 Barcelona : Messi magic seals Barcelona victory at PSV

Lionel Messi scored an excellent individual goal and laid on another as Barcelona beat PSV Eindhoven 2-1 to secure top spot in Champions League Group B on Wednesday.

Messi provided an assist for defender Gerard Pique to score the second for the Liga champions, who have 13 points from their five matches and an unassailable lead.

Messi's goal was his 106th career UCL goal with Barcelona, edging past Cristiano Ronaldo's 105 for Real Madrid for the most at a single club.

PSV, meanwhile, will finish bottom, captain Luuk de Jong scoring a late consolation as they matched Barcelona for much of the contest at the Philips Stadion, striking the woodwork three times in the first half and missing a number of other chances.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Villarreal : Pique and Alena lead the way as Barcelona see off Villarreal

Champions Barcelona overcame a dogged Villarreal side to win 2-0 at home on Sunday, with goals from stalwart defender Gerard Pique and youngster Carles Alena, to provisionally return to the top of La Liga.

The victory extended Barcelona's unbeaten streak against Villarreal in all competitions to 21 games (16-0-5), with their last loss against the Yellow Submarine coming in March 2008

Pique headed the Catalans in front in the 36th minute, connecting with a cross from the lively Ousmane Dembele who produced another decisive display after scoring Barca's late equaliser against Atletico Madrid last week.

Homegrown midfielder Alena, 20, came off the bench to score his first league goal for Barca in the 87th minute and seal the win, racing on to a through ball from Lionel Messi and producing a confident finish.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 4 - 1 Cultural Leonesa : Denis Suarez brace fires Barcelona into Copa del Rey round of 16

(2nd Leg : Barcelona wins 5-1 on agg)

Denis Suarez struck twice for Copa del Rey holders Barcelona as they thrashed Cultural Leonesa 4-1 on Wednesday to progress to the round of 16 with a 5-1 aggregate victory.

The Barcelona midfielder has barely been used this season but put himself in the shop window with a confident display against the third-tier visitors in a comfortable round of 32 second-leg victory.

Holding a 1-0 first-leg lead Barcelona soon stretched that advantage, with Munir El Haddadi slamming a strike into the top corner after 18 minutes to complete a slick team move.

Suarez curled home a delightful second from distance to double the lead and Malcom headed in the third from Ivan Rakitic's cross.

The Croatian captained a much rotated side, with key players like Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique left out of the squad to rest for Saturday's Catalan derby against Espanyol.

Sene pulled a goal back from close range but highly-rated playmaker Riqui Puig appeared in the second half for his Barcelona debut and created the fourth goal with a sweet dink that Suarez dispatched coolly.

The only blemish for Barca came when Brazilian winger Malcolm appeared to suffer a late injury and was taken off, amid an injury crisis at the club with Luis Suarez, Samuel Umtiti and Sergi Roberto among players sidelined.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Espanyol 0 - 4 Barcelona : Lionel Messi shines as Barcelona thrash Espanyol in Catalan derby

Lionel Messi scored two spectacular free kicks as Barcelona thrashed local rivals Espanyol 4-0 in Saturday's Catalan derby to move three points clear at the top of La Liga.

The champions, who started the game level with Sevilla and Atletico Madrid on 28 points, swept to victory in Cornella as Messi put on a sublime show in the week he was ranked the fifth best player in the world at Monday's Ballon d'Or awards.

The Argentine whipped a free kick into the top right corner in the 17th minute before brilliantly setting up Ousmane Dembele to double Barcelona's lead.

Luis Suarez added the third just before halftime with a shot from a tight angle that deflected in off goalkeeper Diego Lopez.

Messi completed the rout with another special free kick in the 65th minute and VAR ruled out a consolation from Oscar Duarte for offside at the other end.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur : Tottenham into round of 16 after late Lucas Moura goal earns draw with Barcelona

Tottenham Hotspur made it into the round of 16 of the Champions League, coming from behind to grab a 1-1 draw at Barcelona on Tuesday which saw them finish second in Group B at the expense of Inter Milan.

Spurs were facing a much-changed Barca side who had already qualified in first place and started without talisman Lionel Messi, but they fell behind to an astonishing run and strike from Ousmane Dembele in the seventh minute.

Tottenham dominated much of the game, but were repeatedly denied by outstanding saves from Barca's reserve goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen before pulling level when Lucas Moura turned in a Harry Kane cross from close range in the 85th minute.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Levante 0 - 5 Barcelona : Messi scores hat trick as Barca top Levante and remain top of La Liga table

Lionel Messi netted his first hat trick of the La Liga season and provided two assists in yet another sensational individual display as a rampant Barcelona won 5-0 at Levante to strengthen their lead at the top of the table on Sunday.

Messi, at his mesmeric best, notched the 31st La Liga hat trick of his career for Barca while also setting up goals for Luis Suarez and Gerard Pique.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Celta Vigo : Messi, Dembele strike as Barcelona ease past Celta Vigo

La Liga champions Barcelona ensured they will end the year sitting top of the table by strolling to a comfortable 2-0 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday, inspired by another superb display from Lionel Messi.

Messi played a pivotal role in Ousmane Dembele opening the scoring against the Galicians in the 10th minute, firing a shot at goal which Celta's Ruben Blanco could only parry at the feet of the French forward, who squeezed the rebound through the goalkeeper's legs.

The Argentine then scored a sixth goal in three La Liga games to stretch his side's advantage on the stroke of half-time, latching onto a pass from Jordi Alba and producing an irresistible finish beyond Blanco just as he entered the area.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Getafe 1 - 2 Barcelona : Messi, Suarez score as Barcelona increase La Liga lead to five points

Barcelona increased their lead atop La Liga to five points with a 2-1 victory at Getafe on Sunday.

First-half goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez put the Blaugrana in front before Jaime Mata pulled one back for the hosts just before the half.

The win gives first-placed Barca 40 points from 18 matches. Getafe remain in seventh with 25.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Levante 2 - 1 Barcelona : Levante take first-leg lead over Barcelona in Copa del Rey round of 16

(1st Leg)

Barcelona's recent iron grip on the Copa del Rey came under threat as they lost 2-1 at Levante in their last-16 first-leg tie on Thursday after resting a host of first team regulars, including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Barca, who have won the last four editions of the Spanish Cup, fell behind in the fourth minute when slack marking from a free kick saw Erick Cabaco head home while Borja Mayoral, on loan from Real Madrid, doubled Levante's lead in the 18th.

Substitute Jose Luis Morales spurned a glorious chance to strike a third goal for the home side which would have seriously damaged Barca's hopes of staying in the competition.

But the Catalans were handed a huge boost heading into next Thursday's second leg at the Nou Camp when Denis Suarez was fouled in the penalty area and record-signing Philippe Coutinho converted the resulting spot kick in the 85th minute.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Eibar : Messi scores 400th La Liga goal as Barcelona beat Eibar to extend lead at top

Luis Suarez scored twice while Lionel Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal as Barcelona re-opened a five-point lead over second place Atletico Madrid in La Liga with a 3-0 win over Eibar.

Barca came into the match on the back of a defeat to Levante in the Copa del Rey, but were back to winning ways with a relatively simple victory at Camp Nou.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Levante : Barcelona see off Levante, but Copa del Rey future still in doubt

(2nd Leg : Barcelona wins 4-2 on agg)

Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi were on target as the Copa del Rey holders thrashed Levante 3-0 at the Nou Camp on Thursday for a 4-2 aggregate win to reach the quarterfinals.

However, Barca's status in a competition they have won for the last four years is unclear after Levante said before the game that they would file a complaint to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Friday about the Catalan club.

Levante claim that Barcelona's teenage defender Chumi Brandariz, who played in the first leg, was ineligible to take part in the match because he was suspended.

If the RFEF ruled against the Catalan club, the 30-time Copa del Rey winners would be thrown out, with Levante given a bye and taking their place in the last eight.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 1 Leganes : Barcelona beat Leganes with super-sub Lionel Messi to extend La Liga lead

Lionel Messi came off the bench to inspire Barcelona to a 3-1 win over a dogged Leganes side on Sunday, creating one goal and scoring another to keep the Catalans five points clear at the top of La Liga.

Messi, left out of the starting lineup for only the second time this season when fit, was called on in the 64th minute with the game poised at 1-1 after Leganes forward Martin Braithwaite had cancelled out Ousmane Dembele's first-half opener with a 57th-minute strike.

The Argentine quickly provided the spark Barca needed by firing a venomous shot from the outside the area which was too powerful for goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar to hold, and Luis Suarez pounced to stab home on the rebound in the 71st minute.

Messi made sure of the victory in stoppage-time, sweeping across the area and hammering the ball past a helpless Cuellar for his 18th goal of the season in La Liga, taking leaders Barca on to 46 points, five clear of nearest challengers Atletico Madrid, after 20 games.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Sevilla 2 - 0 Barcelona : Sevilla stun holders Barcelona in Copa del Rey quarterfinals

(1st Leg)

Sevilla produced a brilliant second-half display to beat Barcelona 2-0 in their Copa del Rey quarterfinal, first leg on Wednesday, leaving the holders with an uphill task to reach the last four.

After an even first 45 minutes, strikes from Pablo Sarabia and Wissam Ben Yedder stunned the Catalans and left them needing a second-leg comeback at the Nou Camp for the second-consecutive round in the competition.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Girona 0 - 2 Barcelona : Lionel Messi scores as Barcelona beat Girona to extend lead to five points

Lionel Messi scored for a sixth consecutive La Liga game as champions Barcelona saw off a gutsy Girona side 2-0 in a Catalan derby on Sunday to go five points clear at the top of the standings.

Portuguese full-back Nelson Semedo struck with his weaker left foot to send Barca into the lead in the ninth minute of the game, which was played on a rain-swept afternoon at Girona's Montilivi stadium after La Liga's ambitious plan to stage the game in Miami fell through.

Girona missed a double chance to equalise shortly before the break, with Barca defender Gerard Pique clearing a shot off the line, and the home side's striker Cristhian Stuani was thwarted by the feet of German keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen early in the second period.

Girona had defender Bernardo Espinosa sent off in the 51st minute for a second booking and their hopes of getting back in the game were dealt a fatal blow by La Liga's top scorer Messi, who lofted the ball over keeper Bono in the 68th to net his 18th league goal of the season.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 6 - 1 Sevilla : Coutinho double helps Barcelona cruise into Copa del Rey semis

(2nd Leg : Barcelona wins 6-3 on agg)

Philippe Coutinho struck twice as Barcelona mounted a comeback to thrash Sevilla 6-1 and sweep into the Copa del Rey semifinals 6-3 on aggregate on Wednesday.

After a 2-0 defeat in Seville last week in which they rested key players, the Catalans broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when Coutinho slotted home from the penalty spot following Quincy Promes' foul on Lionel Messi.

Messi handed Coutinho the ball and the Brazilian playmaker converted the spot kick, ending a run of poor form.

Sevilla nearly equalised but Jasper Cillessen produced a brilliant save from Andre Silva's backheel, before the Dutch goalkeeper palmed away Ever Banega's penalty.

Gerard Pique fouled Roque Mesa and after a long delay while the incident was checked by VAR, Argentina midfielder Banega fired to the goalkeeper's left, but Cillessen flew across to keep the ball out.

Barcelona pulled the game level on aggregate in the 32nd minute when Ivan Rakitic nudged the ball past Juan Soriano with the faintest of touches after a sensational pass from Arthur.

Two goals in a two-minute spell after the break helped Barcelona race ahead, with Coutinho heading in from Luis Suarez's cross and Sergi Roberto tucking home a ball from Messi.

Guilherme Arana pulled a goal back for Sevilla with a powerful drive after the otherwise impressive Cillessen gave the ball away, but Pablo Machin's side were finally sunk when Suarez struck on the break and Messi added a late sixth.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)