Barcelona 2 Alaves 1: Suarez and Messi flip tables on dauntless guests

Lionel Messi assumed the acquainted position of hero as Barcelona averted a Camp Nou dread to beat struggling Alaves 2-1 in LaLiga.

Atletico Madrid’s three-zero preserve terminate over Las Palmas earlier on Sunday placed a modicum of rigidity on Ernesto Valverde’s runaway leaders and it perceived to weigh upon them in a historical first-half exhibiting.

Philippe Coutinho made his elephantine debut, however it really used to be a extra unheralded January signing, Alaves’ Celta Vigo loanee John Guidetti, who threatened the upset with a fortuitous twenty 1/three-minute opener.

Abelardo Fernandez’s aspect remain two aspects above the fall zone and had been left to rue missed chances by the point Luis Suarez netted for the eighth high-flight match in succession with 18 minutes to play.

On the total, it fell to Messi to maintain a look on the coup de grace as he curled a stunning free-kick home within the 84th minute to spark raucous celebrations.

Barcelona remain undefeated and eleven aspects clear on their obvious procession to LaLiga glory.

Final whistle!
FC Barcelona 2-1 Alavés
Suárez and Messi / Guidetti
#ForçaBarça #BarçaAlavés pic.twitter.com/5nINj7VMsT

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 28, 2018

Coutinho used to be lively within the opening phases however looked on as Barca’s feeble guard customary an opening within the Fifteenth minute – Messi shedding deep and exchanging slick passes with Andres Iniesta and Suarez earlier than forcing a clearance on the aid of.

Alaves sprung forward from the nook and Marc-Andre ter Stegen used to be out sharply to disclaim Ibai Gomez. It used to be a warning Barca did no longer label.

Fernando Pacheco saved low down from Suarez a few moments earlier than Alaves streamed into a vacant Barcelona half on the counter-attack.

Guidetti bore down on Ter Stegen and loved a contact of fortune as he misplaced his footing and kicked the ball against his other boot, the tip consequence leaving the Germany goalkeeper with out a likelihood.

Ter Stegen arched his aid to brilliantly maintain out a header from Ruben Sobrino, who then ran out of steam having dribbled from halfway into the Barca field to get a shot away.

Coutinho virtually found a response when his thirty 2nd-minute effort used to be deflected wide, whereas Messi saw an angled free-kick pushed over earlier than Pacheco tipped his subsequent ineffective-ball are trying against the submit to learn Alaves’ unlikely succor on the interval.

Seven minutes into the 2nd half, Valverde opted to replace his elephantine-backs, with Jordi Alba and Sergio Roberto on somewhat than the largely ineffective Lucas Digne and Nelson Semedo.

Their introduction added one more dimension to Barca’s attacking play, however Messi used to be crowded out when he looked to convert Alba’s cutback from the byline.

Ibai will deserve to maintain given Valverde’s men a mountain to climb after the hour when he broke thru on honest, handiest to minimize aid on himself and play in elephantine-aid Ruben Duarte, whose rasping shot used to be deflected on the aid of by Gerard Pique.

Paco Alcacer changed Coutinho within the hosts’ final commerce and Pacheco judged his angles completely within the 68th minute, standing up to thwart Suarez after Messi threaded a stunning tear thru Duarte’s legs.

Paulinho used to be unable to bundle in when a roaming Pique caused havoc within the Alaves field, however the rigidity finally told.

@LuisSuarez9
games in a row scoring in @LaLiga !
W. 21 Alavés –
W. 20 Betis –
W.19 Right Sociedad –
W.18 Levante –
W.17 Right Madrid –
W.Sixteen Deportivo –
W.15 Villarreal –
W.14 Celta – pic.twitter.com/KdePHQDtrT

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 28, 2018

Iniesta rolled aid the years, embarking on a jinking flee earlier than sending a procuring contaminated to the aid submit, the put Suarez’s volley took a pair of deflections to dash beyond a helpless Pacheco.

Mubarak Wakaso clattered into Alcacer on the edge of the field, leaving a sense of inevitability when Messi stood over the consequent put of dwelling-share six minutes from time, even though that did no longer make his decisive strike any much less blooming.

Alaves felt aggrieved when handball claims against Samuel Umtiti had been rejected following a slack raid into the put, however, for the total guests’ intrepid efforts, earlier wasted alternatives meant they handiest had themselves guilty.