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Messi sparks 5-goal victory

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-21 08:52

MADRID: Argentine star Lionel Messi celebrated his new deal with Barcelona by scoring twice in the European champions' 5-2 win over floundering Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

Messi signed a two-year contract extension on Friday which will keep him at the club until 2016 and with a buy-out clause rising from 150 million ($221 million) euros to an even more staggering 250 million euros.

But he showed his value to the defending champions on Saturday as Barcelona made it three wins in three games to stay top of the table.

"It was a strange match perhaps down to the way both teams played," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.

"I think that if we had not had that level of intensity we would not have won.

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"Both sides attacked but we were not clever enough with the ball. We did not take enough advantage of the way their defense pushed up. We need to play the ball around more and wait for openings to develop."

Atletico coach Abel Resino lamented his team's lackluster start.

"We were 2-0 down straight away and it was only then that we began to find our feet," he said.

"We did not begin at the level in which you have to be at to face sides like Barcelona who scored four goals with their first five shots."

New signing Alvaro Negredo scored his first goal for Sevilla who defeated Osasuna 2-0.

AFP