Madrid: Lionel Messi endured yet more injury frustration on Tuesday after going off at half-time against Villarreal but Barcelona gave their coach Ernesto Valverde some much-needed relief with a comfortable 2-1 victory.
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Messi received treatment in the first half for what looked like a problem with his left thigh and was then unable to continue after the interval, replaced by Ousmane Dembele.
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His withdrawal will be a major concern for Barca, particularly given this was Messi’s first start of the season after just recovering from a niggling calf injury sustained at the start of August.
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Even if this latest complaint proves a separate issue, Valverde will face questions about his captain’s readiness to return and whether the 32-year-old was rushed back too soon.
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Certainly, Barcelona would have been eager to see Messi in the line-up, having suffered a humbling 2-0 loss at newly-promoted Granada on Saturday, a result that left them with seven points from five games, their worst start to a season since 1995.
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They arrived at Camp Nou with doubts hovering, particularly over Valverde, but delivered a far more convincing win than the scoreline suggested, thanks to early goals from Antoine Griezmann, his third of the season, and Arthur Melo.
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Santi Cazorla put Villarreal in touch on the stroke of half-time but in truth the visitors barely threatened thereafter, with Barcelona impressively composed when nerves might easily have taken over.
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It means Valverde’s side climb to fourth in the table, one point behind Real Madrid and level on points with Atletico Madrid, who both play on Wednesday. Villarreal’s encouraging start stalls a little as they drop to eighth.
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Barcelona started well, with Griezmann heading in after just six minutes, darting to the near post to flick home Messi’s floated corner. The pair shared a celebratory hug too.
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Seven minutes later, there was a second and another goal almost from nothing. Arthur collected the ball 30 yards out and harpooned a shot straight past Sergio Asenjo and into the top right-hand corner.
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Messi, who won the Fifa Men’s Player of the Year award on Monday, took treatment on the sideline just after the half-hour mark and Cazorla pulled one back soon after with a swerving effort from distance.
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The ball straightened as it flew, which fooled goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, on his way left towards the corner.
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Dembele replaced Messi and the 16-year-old Ansu Fati came on for Luis Suarez with 12 minutes left. Fati twice went close but shot over and then wide. A third for Barca looked more likely than an equaliser for Villarreal.
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