Barcelona held at Celta Vigo

الأربعاء، 3 أبريل 2013


Lionel Messi again made history but his goal was not enough to earn Barcelona a win as they drew 2-2 with relegation-threatened Celta Vigo.
The Argentina international is no stranger to treading new ground and his 73rd-minute goal on Saturday night meant he has scored in 19 successive Primera Division matches.
In doing so he has found the net against every other side in the competition - the first player to ever do that in consecutive matches - and he has 29 goals from his last 19.
Saturday night's would not be the winner, though, with Borja Oubina's late header earning Celta a point, with Naxto Insa's opener having been earlier scrubbed out by Cristian Tello's goal.
It was a good day for Barca, however, with Messi's latest record being set and Eric Abidal on the bench for the first time since a liver transplant over a year ago.
The France defender did not make it on to the field but his return is a significant one, as is that of coach Tito Vilanova who was not at the game but is back in the country after undergoing chemotherapy in America.
He will have been relatively pleased with his side, too, although they were a little off the pace to start with as Celta, who remain in the bottom three, did all the running.
Augusto Fernandez's shot was tipped around the post by Jose Pinto and with 38 minutes gone Insa put the home side ahead, slotting in from close range after a smart cross from Fabian Orellana.
Barca would level before the break, though, with Tello being played in down the left by Messi and opening his body before curling a shot across the body of Javi Varas and in to the far corner.
In between times, both sides had seen penalty appeals turned down, with Messi and Chu-young Park both claiming to have been tripped, but both were waved away.
Messi would have an impact after the interval, having a shot smartly saved by Varas and then securing another piece of history with 17 minutes left.
The first goal was reversed, with Tello pulling back from the left and Messi arriving just in time to convert.
It would not secure the points, though, with Oubina's looping header off Fabian Orellana's 88th-minute cross and levelling things up.

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