Messi’s Barca Brace Boosts Blaugrana Title HopesMessi’s Barca Brace Boosts Blaugrana Title Hopes Lionel Messi’s brace inspired FC Barcelona to a crucial 3-0 victory over UD Almería, reviving the Blaugrana’s hopes of retaining their La Liga title. Messi opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, calmly converting a penalty after Ronald Araujo was fouled in the box. The Argentine maestro doubled Barcelona’s lead just before the hour mark, latching onto a brilliant pass from Sergio Busquets and slotting home with precision. Ousmane Dembélé rounded off the scoring in the 68th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error to tap in from close range. Barcelona’s defense held strong throughout the match, limiting Almería to just one shot on target. The victory extended Barcelona’s unbeaten run in La Liga to 13 matches and moved them within eight points of leaders Real Madrid, who play later today. With Madrid facing a tough away fixture against Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona’s victory has thrown the title race wide open. Messi’s performance was particularly impressive, as he returned to the starting lineup after an injury layoff. The 35-year-old showed no signs of rust, showcasing his trademark dribbling skills and clinical finishing. Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez praised Messi’s performance, saying: “He’s our leader. He makes the difference. He’s the best player in history.” Barcelona’s next match is a crucial home fixture against Valencia on Sunday, while Real Madrid travel to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday night. A victory for Barcelona would reduce the gap between the two rivals to just five points and ignite further belief in their title aspirations.
