Lionel Messi put up a clinical performance as Barcelona made light work of Mallorca on return to football action after an enforced three-month break. The defending league champions beat a relegation battling Mallorca 4-0 with Messi creating two goals and scoring another in the win. Arturo Vidal opened the scoring for Barcelona before Martin Braithwaite netted his maiden goal to put Barcelona 2-0 ahead in the first half. Jordi Alba then scored the third from a Messi assist and the Argentine provided a perfect finish with a deflected strike in injury-time. Mallorca 0–4 Barcelona, La Liga 2019–20 Result: Lionel Messi on Target As League Champions Make Winning Return.

The win took Barcelona five points clear of Real Madrid, who host Eibar in their first match since football returned to Spain after a three-month coronavirus pandemic halt. Quique Setien’s side are on 61 points from28 games. Mallorca remained third from bottom and face relegation threat with bottom-placed Espanyol just two behind.

The Goal Highlights

Messi showed little rust on return to action after a three-month enforced break and almost put Barcelona 2-0 ahead in the early quarters but his shot was parried away by Mallorca goalkeeper Manolo Reina. The Argentine could have also had an assist but his Braithwaite failed to find the net. Eventually, Messi had his assist and Braithwaite his goal after some scrappy play inside the Mallorca box.

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Jordi Alba’s cross was headed into the box by Frenkie de Jong, who also had a hand in the opening goal before Messi flocked it towards Braithwaite for the Danish international’s maiden goal for the Catalan club. Then in the second half, Messi found Alba, running from the left channel, with a wonderful through ball and the Spaniard full-back slotted it home. Messi also scored on return adding the final touch to Barcelona’s sensation win.

The goal took his tally to 20 for the season and made him the first-ever to score at least 20 goals for 12 successive season in Spain. It was also the Argentine’s 14th assist for the season. He leads both the goalscoring and assist making charts in La Liga.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2020 09:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).