backtoback | Soccercapper

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messi barca football shirt 300x271 How Messi won Barcelona back to back La Liga titles Barcelona retained the Spanish Primera Liga for a second year in a row after beating Real Valladolid 4-0 at Camp Nou on Sunday evening.

A Bojan strike and a Luis Prieto own goal in the first half plus a brace from Lionel Messi in the second period saw Pep Guardiola’s side clinch all three points in their final game of the season to finish in first position with 99 points.

The defeat for Valladolid condemned them to the second division.

The hosts had to do without Xavi who was suspended and Andres Iniesta was on the bench, meaning that Yaya Toure, Sergio Busquets, and Seydou Keita started in the midfield with Bojan Krkic, Lionel Messi and Pedro making up the attacking trio. Valladolid had Diego and Manucho as their two forwards.

Relegation-battling Valladolid had the better of the opening exchanges of the match, however, from then on Barcelona began to dominate proceedings and began to run the opposition ragged with their quick paced footwork. Keita tried his luck from 25 yards but unfortunately missed the target by only a yard.

GOAL! (finally)

The Barcelona goal, eventually came from an own goal. Pedro worked on the left side and drove the ball from the byline towards the Valladolid six-yard box that Luis Prieto deflected past his own keeper.

Bet on this outcome: Spain to Win the World Cup

Four minutes later the score went to 2-0 to the Catalans as Pedro struck. Messi was the originator of this goal as he placed a fantastic through ball between the legs of Jacobo that Pedro pushed into the Valladolid goal with great ease.

On the 61st minute, Toure stormed past Navas and cut back the ball; Pedro performed a smart dummy to allow Messi to take a shot at the goal from only six yards. The ball went straight into the net, making it 3-0.

Messi grabbed his second goal of the match and 34th goal of season in the 76th minute, the 22-year-old they call ‘the flea’ wriggled his way past two defenders to rocket one into the net.

Next Season…

Barcelona won the game 4-0 to confidently defend the league title. Valladolid finished second from bottom in the standings and as a result have been relegated.
For next season the rumours are that Valencia’s Spanish star David Villa will join as doubts surround the future of Ibrahimovic while Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, a product of Barca’s youth system, is a long-term target.