Messi-inspired Barcelona extend winning league run to seven games

Barcelona extended their winning run in La Liga to seven games as Lionel Messi and Francisco Trincao both bag a brace in a 5-1 home victory over Alaves.

Ronald Koeman handed Trincao his first league start of the season after scoring the winning goal off the bench against Real Betis the previous weekend, while 18-year-old Ilaix Moriba also made his debut.

The hosts started well and took the lead just before the half-hour mark when Trincao scored his second goal in a week, sweeping home a low finish after being set up by Ilaix inside the area.

Barca looked to have doubled their advantage when Messi converted a rebound from an Antoine Griezmann chance only for VAR to be used to spot a marginal offside from the French forward.

Messi did, however, find the net on the stroke of half time with a trademark whipped, left-footed finish from outside the box that struck the inside of the near post and gave Dani Pacheco no chance.

Alaves gave themselves a lifeline just before the hour mark, making the most of a loose pass from Ilaix to race through the centre of the Barcelona defence, with substitute Luis Rioja tucking a low shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The fightback didn’t last long, though, as two goals in two minutes, first from Trincao and then from Messi, saw Barcelona take a firm grip of the match again.

Riqui Puig, Griezmann and Messi were involved in the build up to Barca’s fifth goal, scored by Junior Firpo, as the Catalans secured the points needed to move them back up to second place in La Liga, eight points behind pace-setters Atletico Madrid.