Barcelona: Lionel Messi scored two scorching strikes as Barcelona hammered Alaves 5-1 on Sunday (February 14) in La Liga to warm up for their upcoming Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
Portuguese forward Francisco Trincao put Barca in front after a cut-back from the assist of 18-year-old debutant midfielder Ilaix Moriba on 29 minutes. Messi thought he had doubled the lead minutes later but the goal was ruled out for a controversial marginal offside against Antoine Griezmann.
Messi eventually doubled the lead from outside the area and thumped the ball off the far post with such force that it landed just inside the opposite post, during the added minutes in the first half.
Alaves’ Luis Rioja pounced on a mistake by Ilaix and reduced the deficit on 57 minutes, but Barca made a roaring comeback with a second strike from Trincao on 74 minutes, another long-range stunner from Messi on 75 minutes and then the fifth goal crafted by Messi and Griezmann and finished off by left-back Junior Firpo on 80 minutes,to make the scoreline 5-1.
A seventh consecutive league match win took Barca up to second in the standings on 46 points, eight behind leaders Atletico Madrid who beat Granada 2-1 earlier, with a game in hand.
