It paid off on the 83 minute when substitute Philippe Coutinho pushed his way into the penalty box, beat an onrushing defender and curled the ball past Fernando Pacheco Flores in the Alaves goal.
Lionel Messi and Barcelona were made to wait but eventually eased to a 3-0 win over Alaves in The Catalans opening game of the 2018/2019 La Liga season. It was yet another memorable night for Leo Messi who was captaining the side for the first time in the league, the Argentinian star grabbed two goals, including Barca’s 6,000 La Liga strike.
As expected, the reigning La Liga champions dominated much of the possession and chances in the first half. Ousmane Dembélé, in particular, had two golden chances to give his side the lead, only to be denied by Alaves keeper Fernando Pacheco Flores.
Just after the hour mark, Valverde’s side took the lead with a moment of magic from Messi. After being bundled down just outside the penalty box, Messi stepped up and drilled a low free-kick Barca’s 6,000th goal in La Liga. It was a deserved goal for the Catalans.
Barca rang the changes in the second half in search for a crucial second. It paid off on the 83rd minute when substitute Philippe Coutinho pushed his way into the penalty box, beat an onrushing defender and curled the ball past Fernando Pacheco Flores in the Alaves goal.
Summer signings Arthur & Arturo Vidal came on for late league debuts, but the night belonged to Messi. With two minutes into stoppage time, Suarez picked out Messi in the penalty box and after chesting the ball, it was a smart finish into the bottom left-hand corner to wrap up a routine win for Barca.
