Sports
Barca thumps Athletic 5-2 in memorable match
Madrid: Lionel Messi led Barcelona to a decisive 5-2 away victory over Athletic Bilbao Sunday, bringing his team to within just a point of Real Madrid, which is at the top of the La Liga standings.
It took the four-time World Player of the year just 15 minutes to get Barca on the board on a deflected free kick, but then the Argentine was on hand 10 minutes later to set up the shot on goal for Uruguay's Luis Suarez that put the visitors up by two at a nearly full San Mames stadium in Bilbao in a first half that was filled with dangerous drives toward both areas.
At the start of a goal-studded six-minute stretch, Mikel Rico got one in for the home squad shortly after the break, but then De Marcos handed another goal to Barcelona on an own-goal off Messi's header and then the Argentine was there to set up Neymar, who made it 4-1 just a few minutes later.
Aritz Aduriz found the twine for Athletic, proving that the home squad continued to scrap and hadn't lost heart, but the team went down to 10 men after the referee tossed Xabier Etxeita on a red card in the 75th minute on a violent and needless challenge of Suarez, who had to leave the match, and Pedro Rodriguez scored a fifth goal 11 minutes later for the final result in one of the hardest-fought and most memorable matches ever played in Bilbao.
Atletico Madrid is now in third place in the 22nd week of the La Liga tourney, followed by Sevilla and Valencia.
20 minutes ago
USCIS Announces Open Application Period for the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program
21 minutes ago
State Department Report: IAMC reiterates call to designate India as CPC, sanction officials engaged in TNR, human rights violations
22 minutes ago
Nestle Adds Sugar To Baby Food Sold In India But Not In Europe
25 minutes ago
Hundreds of students arrested across US in surging pro-Palestine protests
26 minutes ago
US delivered new long-range missiles to Ukraine: Pentagon
27 minutes ago
UN resolution against arms race in space fails due to Russian veto
28 minutes ago
Ahead of Blinken visit, China says US meddling in its affairs: Report
30 minutes ago
EC sends notice to Cong over poll code violation by Rahul Gandhi, seeks reply by April 29
31 minutes ago
Adverse weather conditions may hit mango crops in UP: Experts
31 minutes ago
Congress tied hands of our soldiers, we gave them full freedom to retaliate: PM Modi
32 minutes ago
Opposition involved my sisters in conspiracies, says Andhra CM Jagan
33 minutes ago
Ice cream vendor stabbed to death near India Gate, accused arrested
34 minutes ago
Akhilesh Yadav files nomination from Kannauj LS seat