Lionel Messi marked his return from illness with a brilliant goal as Barcelona beat Argentina’s Club Atletico River Plate 3-0 to capture a record third FIFA Club World Cup yesterday.
The Spanish giants welcomed back Messi after a bout of kidney stones and the mercurial Argentine scored with a clinical finish on 36 minutes, before a lethal Luis Suarez brace destroyed River’s hopes.
“We came here to win the title and it was important to get the job done,” Suarez said. “We stayed calm and played our game until Leo scored the first goal. More than my goals, it was just important to get our hands on the trophy.”
Photo: Reuters
Neymar, himself returning to the side after a groin strain, was instrumental in Barcelona’s opener, climbing to knock down a Dani Alves cross for Messi to steer past River goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero with a deft flick of his left boot.
Suarez, who scored a hat-trick in Barca’s 3-0 semi-final win over Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao, scored a second with a fierce low drive four minutes into the second half.
The former Liverpool striker grabbed his fifth goal in Japan when he guided a thumping header past a beleaguered Barovero after a pinpoint cross from Neymar.
Barca goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was a spectator for much of the game on a cold night in Yokohama, Japan, but the Chilean made an acrobatic save from a shot by River substitute Gonzalo Martinez seven minutes from time to deny the South Americans a consolation goal.
Messi, who forced a smart save from Barovero in the early skirmishes and could himself have finished with a hat-trick, became the first player to score in three finals after leading Barca to victory in 2009 and 2011.
“Messi and Neymar wanted to play in the final, no matter what,” Suarez said. “It shows the sacrifice that there is in the group that they did everything to play.”
Barcelona added the world title to a host of other titles they have collected this year — the UEFA Champions League, Spain’s La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA European Super Cup.
In the earlier match, Brazilian substitute Douglas scored a late brace as Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima stunned Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao 2-1 to finish third.
Former Spurs midfielder Paulinho headed the Chinese side in front after just four minutes in Yokohama, celebrating by racing to the bench to hold up the shirt of teammate Zou Zheng, who broke his leg in the 3-0 semi-final defeat by Barcelona, but Douglas stooped to nod home a deserved equalizer for the Japanese champions in the 70th minute after some poor defending. He then headed in the winner seven minutes from time to complete a dramatic turnaround.
Meanwhile, three-time UEFA Champions League-winning coach Carlo Ancelotti has signed a three-year deal to replace former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich next season after the Spaniard decided not to extend his contract at the German champions.
Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed the much-anticipated change yesterday, saying the deal with Ancelotti has been completed.
“We are thankful to Guardiola for all he gave our club and hope to celebrate more success in the current season,” Rummenigge said in a statement. “I am convinced that Pep and the team will work harder to reach the big sporting aims of the club, especially now that it is clear that Pep will leave.”
Guardiola’s departure was widely expected, with several top English Premier League clubs reportedly in the running to sign the 44-year-old former Barca coach, who won 14 titles in four years at the Spanish club.
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