Lionel Messi double fires Barcelona forward

Madrid: Lionel Messi struck twice as Barcelona recorded their first win in four La Liga games to close to within three points of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with a 3-0 win at Osasuna.

Suarez rounded off a fine team move to break the deadlock just before the hour before Messi’s double in the final 17 minutes moved him ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo as La Liga’s top scorer with 11 for the season.

A brilliant pass from Messi freed Suarez inside the area just eight minutes in, but the Uruguayan pulled his shot inches wide of the far post.

Suarez then hit the woodwork as he spun inside the area.

Osasuna briefly threatened to cause a huge upset either side of half time as firstly Oriol Riera just couldn’t stretch to tap home a dangerous cross at the back post.

Sergio Leon then gave Barca a scare when his brilliant lob over Marc-Andre ter Stegen came back off the underside of the bar.

Barca created fewer chances in the second half, but were more clinical.

Sergio Busquets and Messi combined to release Jordi Alba on the left and his low cross was rolled into an unguarded net by Suarez despite Osasuna calls for offside.

The second goal came about in similar fashion 13 minutes later as Alba again got to the by-line and his cross was volleyed home by Messi at the near post.

And Messi didn’t need any help for his second in stoppage time as he wriggled clear of three Osasuna defenders and left Perez on the floor before lifting the ball high into the net.

Hoffenheim draw against Frankfurt
Berlin: Hoffenheim maintained their unbeaten record in the German Bundesliga this season after a 0-0 draw away to Eintracht Frankfurt in a spiky encounter at the Commerzbank Arena on Friday.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side have won six and drawn eight of their 14 league games this season and remain fourth in the table, above Eintracht on goal difference.

Eintracht, who finished the game with 10 men after Timothy Chandler was sent off late on, are on an impressive run themselves and have now gone eight matches without losing.

Results:
La Liga Osasuna 0 lt to Barcelona 3 (Suarez 59, Messi 72, 90+2), Malaga 1 (Camacho 24) drew with Granada 1 (Kravets 81)
Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt 0 drew with Hoffenheim 0