Athletic club 2-3 Barca: Messi masterclass secures comeback win again
Athletic Bilbao 2-3 Barcelona: Lionel Messi masterclass secures comeback victory once more as talisman adds brace to Pedri’s early equaliser
- Inaki Williams opened the scoring for the hosts after just three minutes played
- Barca fought back and leveled the scoreline on 14 minutes via youngster Pedri
- Talisman Lionel Messi then put Ronald Koeman’s side ahead late in the first half
- Messi then crashed a third off the underside of the crossbar on 62-minute mark
- Iker Muniain scored a late consolation for Athletic in the 90th minute
Lionel Messi was at the top of his game as Barcelona earned a 3-2 win at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday to move up to third in La Liga.
Athletic got off to a dream start in their first match under new coach Marcelino when forward Inaki Williams latched on to a low through ball and raced towards goal, beating one defender before firing low into the net in the third minute.
Barca quickly responded, however, with a sensational team goal, Messi delivering a superb pass to pick out Frenkie de Jong by the byline and the Dutchman volleyed the ball back across the area for 18-year-old Pedri to head home.
Lionel Messi crashed the ball off the underside of the crossbar to score Barcelona’s third goal
The club talisman was mobbed by his team-mates after securing the comeback victory
It was Messi who had got Barca back ahead, slotting the ball through bodies to make it 2-1
The Argentine acknowledged his team-mates after getting on the score-sheet yet again
Teenage sensation Pedri had leveled for Barca after scoring from close range on 14 minutes
The Spanish starlet was commended by Messi for his goal which got Barca back in the tie
Messi and Pedri combined beautifully to put Barca ahead, the youngster receiving a pass from the Argentine before returning it with a delightful backheel and Messi rolled the ball into the bottom corner in the 38th minute.
Messi struck again in the 62nd minute to finish off another brilliant team move and missed a couple of chances to complete his hat-trick, although Iker Muniain made for a tense finale by scoring for Athletic in the 90th.
The win took Barca above Real Sociedad and into third in the standings on 31 points, seven behind leaders Atletico Madrid who have two games in hand on the Catalans
It took just three minutes in the match for Inaki Williams to slot home and put his side ahead
Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen got down low but was unable to prevent the effort
Williams pointed to the skies after Athletic got off to the perfect start, but the tide soon turned
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