Lionel Messi turned up the pressure on Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga as he was instrumental in Barcelona's 2-0 win over Osasuna on Saturday.
Barcelona are now only two points behind Atletico Madrid, and while they have played two additional games, the league leaders face Real Madrid on Sunday.
Here's how Messi did it...
Osasuna 0-2 Barcelona: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
📷 Lionel Messi: Match Snapshot
A ⏱️ 30' Messi picks out the charging Jordi Alba down the left, and the full-back, who's today playing as a winger, unleashes a brilliant shot into the top corner of the net.
A ⏱️ 85' Having nearly set up Alba for a second, Messi finally helps Barcelona gets some insurance. He lays the ball off to youngster Ilaix Moriba to drill into the top corner of the net - a memorable way to get his first Barca goal.
〽️ Lionel Messi: Rating Week-on-Week
✔ IMPROVEMENT
This was Messi's eighth score above an 8 FC Rating in his last 12 matches - an incredible sequence.
Last time out against Sevilla, he scored a 7.9 FC Rating, today he got a 9.3 FC Rating.
🗝️ Key Stats
Messi match stats
Statistic | Value | Notes |
FC Rating | 9.3 | Man of the Match |
Mins Played | 90 | |
Goals | 0 | |
Assists | 2 | |
Shots | 5 | Rank #1 |
Shots on target | 2 | |
Final third passes | 40 | Rank #1 |
Big chances created | 2 | Rank #1 |
Pass completion | 88% |
Messi: What Next?
Messi will attempt the impossible in midweek as Barcelona seek to come back from a 4-1 first-leg deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. He needs to raise his level again to make that possible.
Osasuna 0-2 Barcelona: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats