Barcelona 3-0 Levante: Messi, Suarez and Paulinho make it a happy start to 2018
Dembele returned to the starting lineup as Barça picked up three points
Messi scored one and created one in another impressive performance
Barcelona kicked off 2018 with three points and restored their nine-point cushion at the top of the table with an 3-0 win against Levante at Camp Nou on Sunday.
FCB
3 ________________ 0
LEV
LINE UP
FCBarcelona
Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto (Arnaiz, min.85), Vermaelen, Mascherano, Alba; Rakitic, Paulinho, Iniesta (André Gomes, min. 76); Dembélé (Semedo, min.67), Messi y Suárez
Levante
Oier; Moore, Cabaco, Postigo, Luna; Doukouré, Lukic, Lerma (Rober Pier, min.62), Jason (Samu García, min.82), Ivi; y Boateng (Nano Mesa, min.73)
Goles
1-0, min. 12: Messi. 2-0, min.38: Luis Suárez. 3-0, min.90+3: Paulinho.
Árbitro
Carlos del Cerro Grande (Comité madrileño). Mostró cartulina amarilla a Lerma (min. 8), Postigo (min.31), Boateng (min. 70) y a Rober Pier (min.84).
Incidencias
Asistieron al partido 56.380 espectadores en partido de la decimoctava jornada disputado en el Camp Nou. Presenció el encuentro en el palco el seleccionar argentino Jorge Sampaoli
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Paulinho scored the goals as Ernesto Valverde’s side extended their unbeaten streak to 27 games, dating back to the Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid in August.
And there are even more reasons for the club’s supporters to be happy following the confirmation of Philippe Coutinho’s move from Liverpool this weekend.
Coutinho was not at Camp Nou for the game, he will be presented on Monday, but Valverde did bring Dembele back into the starting lineup.
The Frenchman, who was the club’s record signing before the announcement of Coutinho, had not started a game since September when he ruptured a tendon against Getafe.
Understandably he looked a little cautious after such a long injury layoff, but luckily Messi and Suarez were in fine form.
Messi opened the scoring with his 16th goal of the league season, bouncing the ball in off the post after good play from left-back Jordi Alba.
The Argentine then set up Suarez, but the Uruguayan’s shot was saved by former Barca stopper Oier and Dembele’s rebound was blocked.
Barca doubled their advantage before the break, though, when Sergi Roberto’s fine pass was hammered home by Suarez via a deflection.
There could have been more first half goals, too, but Messi’s free-kick whisked just wide while Rakitic and Paulinho both came close.
The floodgates did not open after the break, though, and it was Levante who came closest to scoring the next goal.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen had to be alert to make fine saves from Ivi and Shaq Moore as the Valencia-based side threatened to make a game of it.
Suarez missed a good chance for Barca, who appeared to have taken their foot off the gas.
Dembele was withdraw after 65 minutes, replaced by Nelson Semedo, before Jose Arnaiz came on for a La Liga debut after scoring three goals in three Copa del Rey games.
But the final say was reserved for Paulinho, who tapped in his seventh league goal of the season after brilliant work by Messi in stoppage time.
