{"id":64957,"date":"2020-12-20T18:08:28","date_gmt":"2020-12-20T18:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=64957"},"modified":"2020-12-20T18:08:28","modified_gmt":"2020-12-20T18:08:28","slug":"messi-equals-pele-goal-record-but-barca-lose-more-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=64957","title":{"rendered":"Messi equals Pele goal record but Barca lose more ground"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"MADRID, Dec 20, 2020 (BSS\/AFP) \u2013 Lionel Messi scored his 643rd goal for Barcelona on Saturday to equal Pele\u2019s record of goals for a single club as the Spanish giants were held 2-2 by Valencia.<\/p>\n

Messi, 33, headed in from Jordi Alba\u2019s cross after his first-half penalty was saved to equal the mark set by the Brazilian great for Santos.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese figures are impressive, we will never have a player so effective at this club,\u201d admitted coach Ronald Koeman.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why he is the No.1. What he\u2019s done for this club, it is impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Messi was eventually left frustrated on Saturday as a dogged Valencia forced a draw to leave Barcelona eight points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, who beat Elche 3-1 earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were times tonight with good football, we had total control of the match, especially after leading 2-1 where we tried to get the third, but there were also times when we lost the ball in the danger zones,\u201d added Koeman.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat worries me is that sometimes the team doesn\u2019t know what the game is about.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know we\u2019re a team that always likes to attack and score goals, but there are also times when you have to defend and control the game.<\/p>\n

\u2013 \u2018Title not over\u2019 \u2013<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the race for the title is not yet lost, we are far behind, but it\u2019s a very complicated season for everyone. In two months, the situation may be totally different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barcelona started slowly and went a goal behind to Mouctar Diakhaby\u2019s unchallenged header from a corner after half an hour.<\/p>\n

Antoine Griezmann earned the penalty that led to Messi\u2019s record-equalling goal when the France attacker was nudged over by Jose Gaya.<\/p>\n

Messi\u2019s spot-kick was saved by Jaume Domenech but the ball rebounded and from Alba\u2019s dinked cross, the Argentina forward headed the ball into the net to draw level with Pele.<\/p>\n

Barcelona went ahead thanks to a superb scissor kick from Uruguay\u2019s Ronald Araujo.<\/p>\n

But Valencia\u2019s pressure was rewarded when Maxi Gomez got in front of Barca central defender Oscar Mingueza to turn in a cross and equalise.<\/p>\n

Philippe Coutinho drove a shot just wide with 12 minutes remaining and Messi curled a free-kick wide but Barcelona were forced to share the points.<\/p>\n

Luis Suarez scored twice from close range in a 3-1 victory for Atletico to move Diego Simeone\u2019s side three points clear at the top.<\/p>\n

In a tight first half at the Wanda Metropolitano, Atletico wasted a clear chance to take the lead when France forward Thomas Lemar drove the ball straight at Elche \u2018keeper Edgar Badia as the defence opened up.<\/p>\n

Suarez was far more clinical in the 41st minute as the Uruguay forward got the slightest of touches to steer Kieran Trippier\u2019s cross past Badia to take the lead.<\/p>\n

The former Barcelona and Liverpool attacker then stretched to poke the lively Yannick Carrasco\u2019s pass into the net in the 58th minute.<\/p>\n

Lucas Boye\u2019s powerful header gave Elche hope in the second half but substitute Diego Costa, who has not hidden his frustration at being relegated to the bench since Suarez\u2019s arrival, fired in a penalty with ten minutes remaining to wrap up the three points for Atletico.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very happy to be able to play again,\u201d Costa told Movistar after the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have taken some hard blows but I always pick myself up again. It\u2019s hasn\u2019t been easy but I have enough strength to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Real Sociedad stay second but remain three points behind after giving up a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 at Levante.<\/p>\n

Socieded, who have played three more games than Atletico, were ahead in the 22nd minute when Swedish international Alexander Isak scored.<\/p>\n

Roger levelled just six minutes later before Jorge de Frutus grabbed the winner three minute from time.<\/p>\n

Villarreal are fourth thanks to a 3-1 win over Osasuna with Gerard Moreno scoring twice to take his season total to eight goals.<\/p>\n

Champions Real Madrid play Eibar away on Sunday where a win would take them level with Atletico on 29 points.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MADRID, Dec 20, 2020 (BSS\/AFP) \u2013 Lionel Messi scored his 643rd goal for Barcelona on Saturday to equal Pele\u2019s record of goals for a single club as the Spanish giants were held 2-2 by Valencia. Messi, 33, headed in from Jordi Alba\u2019s cross after his first-half penalty was saved to equal the mark set by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n