Ivan Rakitic scored the only goal as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao to move back to the top of La Liga.

The substitute latched onto Lionel Messi's pass before slotting home with 19 minutes to go.

It was a 15th La Liga assist of the season for Messi, who remains on 699 career goals despite going close himself on two separate occasions in the closing stages.

Real Madrid can go back to the top if they beat Mallorca on Wednesday.

Barcelona were far from their best but did enough to grind out this victory. With Real Madrid having a better head-to-head record, Barca need their rivals to slip up even if they win every remaining game.

Mid-table Athletic had beaten the Catalans twice this season - on the opening day of La Liga and in the Copa del Rey quarter-final - but failed to test goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen once.

Messi, who turns 33 on Wednesday, was hoping his 700th career goal would come - and he was close when he cut in and curled wide, before again missing the target from Ansu Fati's pass.

But he still helped Barca win the game when he fed Rakitic, who scored his first goal of the season. Messi's 15 assists in La Liga this season have helped Barca pick up 15 points.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53157885

We've entered the see saw season

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The wey Barca dey cut my tickets, their carrier self go end under 2.5 this season awon oloshi

A very important victory.


Messi is a genius,if he's not scoring he's assisting his teammates, unlike someone that I wouldn't like to mention.

dont jus know the real problem of barca, they started the post covid era of football with that beautiful win against mallorca but now it seems that win was just a fluke, this is not the barca team i once knew, i know they are always messidependent for years back but it have not been worst like wat am seeing this days, barca cant win an away game and the worst is that they are still struggling at home, its just terrible watching barca whenever messi is not on his A game, i blame the useless board for thier stupid transfers and the coach too for this boring kinda play,
with away fixtures in celta, villareal and home against atheltico still to play, i don't think this barca i saw last nite can win the league even if madrid drop points because messi and ter stegen cant keep saving thier mediocre asses..
they should jus start preparing for next season and i pray they get a creative midfielder like pjanic, a confident attacker in neyma, lautaro or auba....
was too frustrating watching dt match last nite.....
from a pained barca fan.

Na luck wey Barcelona dey take win matches dx days...They really need to step up

We will soon be ontop table again HALA MADRID

Always showing up

Abeg let Madrid win it if they like.

I mean how many league title have they won since Messi and Ronaldo came into limelight..

Laliga is easy, yet Ronaldo's Madrid won it just twice in 9 years of Ronaldo's stay at Madrid.

Yeah that's whats up

We dey reboot make una no worry Barcelona is surely going to retain that top position!!
Real Madrid and others can eat shit

madrid all d way

Ui

we only care about the person that gave the assist

Every team Dey ginger only Arsenal dey scrub floor.. wahala.


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As if Madrid have played their own match

Barcelona spent months as #1 in laliga top spot, we didn't see any post about it.

But Real Madrid got the #1 spot few days ago, and it became news. That's kinda funny.


Sure they will retain their spot today though.

internationalman:
Abeg let Madrid win it if they like.

I mean how many league title have they won since Messi and Ronaldo came into limelight..

Laliga is easy, yet Ronaldo's Madrid won it just twice in 9 years of Ronaldo's stay at Madrid.

if Madrid dash u five champions league....barca won't reach, y u were busy struggling on top 3-teams laliga, they were conquering Europe. lol

That's good

Arsenal is the only team that Barca fears

paulolee:
my team is suffering...cnt win the league like dis

I doubt if will can win anything this season self.

They are not playing to my own satisfaction at all. Barto have to leave Barca by December.

Ok

Football is just a distraction

nurez305:
As if Madrid have played their own match

Match at hand is not count because anything can happen.

YorubaKinging:
Football is just a distraction

How?

Ivan Rakitic is Barcelona best player but Messi wants him out

..