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Lionel Messi dedicated a goal to the late Diego Maradona on his return to Barça in a 4-0 win against Osasuna on Sunday.
Messi, who had rested for a 4-0 win against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday, scored the fourth goal and celebrated by showing off a Newell’s Old Boys jersey in honor of Maradona, after he died at 60 years on Wednesday.
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Messi began his youth career at Newell’s before joining Barcelona and Maradona was on the books at the Rosario-based club around the same time, towards the end of his playing career.
It is the number 🔟.
The best player in the world and his tribute to # D10S ❤️🖤#DiegoEterno ♾ pic.twitter.com/JZhkZgX9jx
– Newell’s Old Boys (@CANOBoficial_en) November 29, 2020
The Catalans had paid tribute before kick-off to Maradona, who played for the club in a bumpy but disappointing period from 1982 to 1984, hanging a framed signed shirt over the presidential box while the players observed a minute’s silence in front of an old Barça player. . t-shirt with no 10.
Barça, who had started the 14th day of the League, won comfortably with Martin Braithwaite, Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho also on the minutes.
After scoring twice against Kiev in the middle of the week, Braithwaite opened the scoring for Barca in his first La Liga start to the season with a sloppy shot in the 29th minute, which crossed the line in a fight on goal.
Griezmann doubled the hosts’ lead in the 42nd minute with an impressive volley from inside the penalty area following a Jon Moncayola header.
And Coutinho, who had a clear shot from the line early on, scored from close range in the 52nd minute after a good combination of Braithwaite and Griezmann.
Substitute Ousmane Dembele saw a goal scored offside in the 69th minute when Barcelona found his way, but minutes later Messi added the fourth for real with a shot from the edge of the area.
“Maradona deserved an emotional tribute like that, we have lost a world idol,” Coutinho said. “Everyone in football looked up to him and we will all miss him.”
Griezmann added: “We did not know what Messi had prepared in homage to Maradona, it was a beautiful surprise.
“It was very important to win today because the top teams keep winning and we can’t afford to fail anymore. We know it will be difficult but today we show that we want to win the league and have a team capable of doing that.”
Barça defender Clement Lenglet limped off in the 67th minute with an ankle problem, leaving his team without first-team central defenders in shape due to injuries to Samuel Umtiti, Ronald Araujo and Gerard Piqué.
“I have spoken with the doctor and it seems that we will have to wait until tomorrow, but it is not so bad,” said Barça coach Ronald Koeman after the game. “I don’t know about the game on Wednesday … I hope it is nothing important.”
That victory leaves Barcelona in seventh place, three points behind Real Madrid in fourth and nine behind leaders Real Sociedad with one game less.
“[It was an] important win because we needed it, “Koeman said.” Now we have six games before the end of the year and we want to win them all because we want to win the title. Today we had chances and we took advantage of them. I’m really happy.”
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
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