Messi on the mark for Barcelona
Sunday, February 20, 2011
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Beaten at Arsenal FC in midweek, FC Barcelona required a 78th-minute Lionel Messi goal to defeat Athletic Club and restore their five-point advantage at the Spanish Liga summit.
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FC Barcelona restored their five-point advantage over Real Madrid CF thanks to a 2-1 win against Athletic Club.
Beaten in midweek by Arsenal FC in the first instalment of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie, Barcelona took only four minutes to settle back into their stride at the Camp Nou. David Villa provided the finish, and although Athletic levelled five minutes after half-time through Andoni Iraola's penalty, Lionel Messi made the difference with his 25th league goal this season 12 minutes before the end.
That defeat means Athletic now lie eight points adrift of fourth-placed Villarreal CF, who drew 1-1 against Málaga CF. Marco Ruben had given the Yellow Submarine a 36th-minute lead, but Manuel Pellegrini's side secured a point against his former employers thanks to Sebastián Fernández's strike eight minutes from time.
Málaga remain bottom, a solitary point adrift of UD Almería, who were denied victory in dramatic circumstances at home against RC Deportivo La Coruña. Trailing 1-0 five minutes into added time, the visitors snatched a point when goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia went forward for a corner and headed in a remarkable equaliser.
CA Osasuna were the day's biggest winners, 4-0 against sixth-placed RCD Espanyol, while Real Racing Club prevailed 1-0 at Getafe CF and Sevilla FC defeated Hércules CF by the same scoreline.
