Manchester United’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Barcelona did not start well.
The Blaugrana (or neon yellows, as it was), opened the scoring a dozen minutes into the match at Old Trafford on Tuesday thanks to some interplay from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez — and some help from the Video Assistant Referee.
Jan Oblak is the best goalkeeper in the world right now. Period. End of discussion.
Oblak, the 26-year-old Slovenian and Atlético Madrid No. 1, put on a masterful display against Barcelona on Saturday at the Camp Nou.
But it was in vain.
Luis Suarez hit a perfect strike to break the deadlock and Lionel Messi took advantage of a dazed defense moments later as Barcelona scored twice late to beat 10-man Atlético Madrid in a massive LaLiga match, a potential title-decider.
Relegation-threatened Villarreal almost recorded a stunning victory over LaLiga leader Barcelona at El Madrigal, and the result would’ve certainly meant more to the Yellow Submarine’s survival than to the Blaugrana’s title charge, but Lionel Messi was inserted with 30 minutes remaining and you know what happened after that.
With 11 goals and four assists in his last eight appearances for Barcelona, including hat tricks against Sevilla and Real Betis, it’s become increasingly difficult to separate Lionel Messi’s image from that of the divine.
What is the softest material in the universe? Is it a baby’s pure skin? The fur of your best dog/cat friend? A kiss from your mother? Your “My Pillow” that is more expensive than a pillow has any right to be? Or is it this Lionel Messi free kick vs Espanyol?
I’d argue it’s the latter.
Barcelona defeated Espanyol 2-0 on Saturday at the Camp Nou, moving at least temporarily 13 points clear of second-place Atletico Madrid in the LaLiga standings. Lionel Messi scored both goals, hitting at least 40 for a remarkable 10th straight season.
Gonzalo Higuain has called it quits on his national career after ten years with la Albiceleste. The Chelsea star was one of Argentina’s best strikers in recent years, scoring 31 goals in 75 appearances, but his decision to retire from international duty comes after constant criticism from Argentina fans.
Winter is coming April 14 when the greatest show of all time returns for its eighth and final season. What better way to advertise the upcoming finale than giving a pair of Game of Thrones customized adidas trainers to one of the greatest football players of all time, Lionel Messi.
Messi getting hooked up with the Game of Thrones Ultra Boost pic.twitter.com/lUr4JDxeTp
With a total of 17 titles in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, no country comes to close to matching Spain’s level of dominance on the continent. By extension, La Liga is often viewed as the world’s premier league competition. When looking at the La Liga top scorers of all time, the level of quality throughout the history of the competition is evident.
Venezuela national team coach Rafael Dudamel pulled off an impressive 3-1 win over Argentina on Saturday in Madrid.
After the match, he said he was offering his resignation as Venezuela national team coach.