Barcelona 4-1 Almeria
Barcelona moved to second in La Liga as Lionel Messi’s expertly-taken free-kick helped them to a 4-1 win against Almeria at the Nou Camp.
The hosts led 2-0 by the 24th minute after Alexis Sanchez tapped a rebound into the empty goal before Messi curled an exquisite left-foot set-piece around the wall and into the top of the goal for his 15th league strike of the season.
A rout looked in the cards until Angel Trujillo got free to head home a corner in the 27th minute, and the relegation-threatened club made Barcelona work for their three points.
Carles Puyol, who made a rare start, scored an even rarer goal after Messi’s header came off the bar straight to him in the 83rd minute.
Xavi Hernandez scored moments later as the Catalans bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Real Sociedad last weekend.
The result leaves Gerardo Martino’s men second in La Liga, just a point behind leaders Real Madrid.
—Daily Mail
