Lionel Messi returns from three weeks injury to lead the La liga champions against Real Betis and despite him scoring a brace didn’t stop Barcelona from suffering an embracing defeat in the hands of their visitor on Sunday afternoon in 4-3 scintillating score line at camp Nou having lost in their last eight matches in the same stadium. This make it 15 years the last time Barca lost a match a home by conceding four goals. The score line I believe wasn’t what Lionel Messi expected as welcome gift from his team mate as well as his to his fans.

Before this match, pundits had predicted Barca to get an easy ride over real Betis after seeing them performed wonderfully wee without their play maker Lionel Messi and one would have thought that his presence in the pitch one again will give his side an added advantage to blow their opponent away but match result is quite unbelieving.

Quique Setien’s boys showed enough character in a match they fairly dominated, picking deserving three points. Barcelona started the game pretty well with high intensity, pressing the visitors to the third half of the pitch with Malcom making a lot of goal runs. Betis got on the driver’s seat having managed to find space after Barcelona had lost the ball on dangerous position a couple of times which resulted to a counter attack. Willams Carvalho’s spectacular cross was all Junior Firpo needed to lead the blaugrana. This was followed by an easy tap in from Joaquin to make it 2-0 before the break.

Messis registered his 9th goal of the season when he slotted in from the penalty spot after Cristian Tellow committed an unreasonable foul on Jordi Alba but his effort was fruitless when keeper Mac-Andre ter Stegen allowed Giovani’s shot slipped through his hand.

Arturo Vidal’s tap in within 20 minutes of the Messi’s goal to make it 3-2 but their hope was dashed when Ivan Rakitic was showed his second yellow card of the game on the 8nd and was sent off to leave 10-man Barca on the pitch. Sargio Canales close range goal from Junior was the last for Real Betis to make it 4-2 score line in their favour on the 83rd minutes. Another goal from Messi was too late to offer any hope to his team mates at the last minute of the extra time.

In a post match interview, Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde decry his side woeful first half performance and demanded an immediate response from his players in their next match as he encouraged them to improve on the final third of the pitch.

Cheers to all Barcelona fans because ‘’the down fall of man is not the end of his story’’

This post is made in continuation of Happy moanday contest being organised by our able mentor @pete to encourage blogger to get noticed with their quality content.

https://scorum.com/en-us/ncaa/@pete/hurray-it-s-happy-moan-day