Lionel Messi was nonetheless celebrating his equalizer after coming off the bench for Barcelona when Sergio Busquets handed him the captain’s armband.
Once once more, Messi had come to the rescue of his grateful teammates.
Messi confirmed why Barcelona agreed to maintain him a particularly wealthy man when on Sunday he acted as Ronald Koeman’s tremendous sub, scoring one purpose and organising one other to assist Barcelona earn a 3-2 win at Real Betis.
Youngster Francisco Trincão shared within the victory by clinching the thriller along with his first purpose for the membership that he scored with three minutes to go.
“In half an hour, Messi demonstrated what a vital player he is for this team,” Koeman mentioned. “Messi has shown for years that he is the best player in the world, above all for the creativity he displays in the final meters.”
Barcelona’s sixth league win in a row lifted it again into second place at seven factors behind Spanish league chief Atlético Madrid, which has two extra video games to play. It hosts Celta Vigo on Monday.
HOT AWAY FROM HOME
Koeman has complained concerning the variety of video games his group has performed during the last month within the league, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. He left Messi and first-choice midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Pedri González amongst his reserves on Sunday.
De Jong’s relaxation, nonetheless, solely lasted 10 minutes earlier than he got here on for defender Ronald Araújo after he twisted his decrease left leg.
Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis arrived on the match on a nine-game undefeated run throughout all competitions. It stored the guests in examine within the first half and an impressed Nabil Fekir threatened on the counterattack with out Araújo to anchor Barcelona’s protection.
Borja Iglesias slotted in a low cross by Emerson after a fast transition into assault led by Fekir to place Betis forward within the thirty eighth.
Koeman despatched on Pedri at halftime. Messi and Trincão quickly adopted.
Betis had already felt the fury of Messi coming off the bench going through a deficit this season. In November, the final time Messi began a league match from the bench, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner scored twice after occurring at halftime to deal Betis a 5-2 defeat.
This time, he wanted simply two minutes to rifle a left-footed shot contained in the publish simply after Ousmane Dembele drew in two defenders earlier than aiding him inside the realm.
Messi sparked a second purpose within the 68th with an trade of passes with Jordi Alba that left the left again clear to sq. the ball throughout the goalmouth. Antoine Griezmann scuffed a point-blank shot, however was lucky that the ball hit Betis defender Víctor Ruiz and bounced in.
Ruiz made up for his error within the seventy fifth when he rose to go in a free kick from lFekir.
But with Barcelona going through a setback within the title race, substitute Trincão recovered a ball from Ruiz and fired an extended strike off the goalframe and into the web for the 87th-minute winner.
The victory in Seville was a second-straight comeback win for Koeman’s aspect. On Wednesday, Barcelona was trailing Granada 2-0 within the Copal del Rey quarterfinals till the ultimate minutes earlier than its late rally pressured added time, the place it accomplished a 5-3 victory.
After struggling early within the season with Koeman finishing up a revival of the group with younger newcomers just like the 21-year-old Trincão, Barcelona has vastly improved in latest weeks. Its peak bodily situation has confirmed key to profitable 9 in a row away from Camp Nou between the league and cup.
“I think the team is more confident at this moment, and we always try, even when losing, to play football and to have the patience to win the game at the end,” Koeman mentioned. “And with that our confidence has been growing.”
SOCIEDAD ROLLS
Aleksander Isak and Mikel Oyarzabal scored two targets every to assist sixth-place Real Sociedad ease to a a 4-1 win over 10-man Cádiz.
Oyarzabal transformed a penalty after Álvaro Negredo dealt with the ball. The Spain ahead added a second earlier than Cádiz defender Marcos Mauro was proven a direct purple card for fouling a participant with solely the goalkeeper to beat simply earlier than halftime.
Isak scored his targets to make it 4-0 earlier than David Silva went on as an alternative to his first look since December after recovering from a muscle damage.
Jairo Izquierdo obtained Cádiz’s comfort purpose.
DRAW IN BILBAO
Valencia defender Gabriel Paulista headed in a second-half equalizer to attract 1-1 at Athletic Bilbao, which had gone forward from an own-goal by Hugo Guillamón.
Bilbao coach Marcelino García Toral rested a number of of his common starters within the match towards his former group. Bilbao has solely misplaced twice in 9 matches since Marcelino took over.
OSASUNA WINS
Ante Budimir scrambled in a ball that had come off the publish to present Osasuna a 2-1 win at house over Eibar in a relegation combat. The striker’s try from shut vary ricocheted off the upright and his chest earlier than getting in.
Osasuna moved out of the drop zone and into fifteenth place. Eibar was left in seventeenth.
