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Messi hits brace in record-equalling Barca appearance, horror injury mars Liverpool's win
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Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates during the La Liga match against Huesca in Barcelona, Spain, March 15, 2021. /CFP

Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates during the La Liga match against Huesca in Barcelona, Spain, March 15, 2021. /CFP

Lionel Messi celebrated his record-equaling 767th appearance for Barcelona by scoring two goals in a 4-1 La Liga victory over Huesca which helped the Catalans to move within four points of the top of the table on Monday.

Messi equalled Xavi Hernandez's all-time appearance record for Barcelona.

Spectacular first-half strikes by Messi and Antoine Griezmann from long-range appeared to have put Barca in the driving seat with the visitors rarely threatening.

However, Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was adjudged to have felled Rafa Mir on the stroke of halftime as the forward attacked a cross. He picked himself up to net the penalty and halve the deficit against the run of play.

A first goal for the club by defender Oscar Mingueza restored Barca's two-goal cushion eight minutes after the restart as he nodded in a Messi corner.

Mir then missed a golden chance to pull one back when he contrived to head over from close range moments later, and was made to pay as Messi rounded off the win in the final minute of normal time with a deflected effort.

"I've always said there's all to play for in the league title race," Barca coach Ronaldo Koeman said.

"We've bounced back well after dropping points early on in the season. The side are looking good and we are confident we can fight for the trophy.

"It's a great result to build on. We were good in the first-half and we kept our intensity up in the second, too.

"We can't afford to drop any more points because we've already dropped quite a lot."

The victory lifted Barca to 59 points in second place, four behind table-toppers Atletico Madrid.

Huesca, meanwhile, remain bottom of the table on 20 points, four from safety.

Medical staff attend to Wolves' goalkeeper Rui Patricio during the Premier League match between Wolves and Liverpool in Wolverhampton, England, March 15, 2021. /CFP

Medical staff attend to Wolves' goalkeeper Rui Patricio during the Premier League match between Wolves and Liverpool in Wolverhampton, England, March 15, 2021. /CFP

In England, Liverpool breathed new life into their chances of a top-four finish in the Premier League as Diogo Jota returned to haunt Wolves with the only goal in a 1-0 win at Molineux.

A disappointing night for the hosts ended with a bigger concern than just the result as goalkeeper Rui Patricio had to be stretchered off after 15 minutes of treatment for a head injury after he collided with his own player Connor Coady in the closing stages.

Wolves have already been badly affected by a serious head injury this season. Their top scorer for the past two seasons, Raul Jimenez, has been out since fracturing his skull against Arsenal in November.

Jota's goal secured a much-needed three points to move Jurgen Klopp's men up to sixth and within five points of fourth-placed Chelsea.

Liverpool's wretched run of six successive home league defeats is what has left the Reds with an uphill task to qualify for the Champions League next season.

But they have now won six of their last seven games away from Anfield.

(With input from AFP)

Source(s): Reuters

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