Messi equals Pele’s record of 643 goals for a single club

Lionel Messi scored his 643rd goal for Barcelona on Saturday to equal Pele’s record of goals for a single club as the Spanish giants were held 2-2 by Valencia.

Messi headed in from Jordi Alba’s cross after his first-half penalty was saved to equal the mark set by the Brazilian great for Santos.

But Messi was left frustrated as a dogged Valencia forced a draw that leaves Barcelona eight points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, who beat Elche 3-1 earlier in the day.

Barcelona started slowly and went a goal behind to Mouctar Diakhaby’s unchallenged header from a corner after half an hour.

Antoine Griezmann earned the penalty that led to Messi’s record-equalling goal when the Frenchman was nudged over by Jose Gaya.

Messi’s spot-kick was saved by Jaume Domenech but the ball rebounded and from Alba’s dinked cross, the Argentine headed the ball into the net to draw level with Pele.

Barcelona went ahead thanks to a superb scissor kick from Uruguayan Ronald Araujo.

But Valencia’s pressure was rewarded when Maxi Gomez got in front of Barca central defender Oscar Mingueza to turn in a cross and equalise.

Philippe Coutinho drove a shot just wide with 12 minutes remaining and Messi curled a free-kick wide but Barcelona were forced to share the points.

Earlier, Luis Suarez scored twice from close range in a 3-1 victory for Atletico Madrid against Elche on Saturday to move Diego Simeone’s side three points clear at the top of La Liga.

In a tight first half at the Wanda Metropolitano, Atletico wasted a clear chance to take the lead when France forward Thomas Lemar drove the ball straight at Elche ‘keeper Edgar Badia as the defence opened up.

Suarez was far more clinical in the 41st minute as the Uruguay forward got the slightest of touches to steer Kieran Trippier’s cross past Badia to take the lead.

The former Barcelona and Liverpool attacker then stretched to poke the lively Yannick Carrasco’s pass into the net in the 58th minute.

Lucas Boye’s powerful header gave Elche hope in the second half but substitute Diego Costa, who has not hidden his frustration at being relegated to the bench since Suarez’s arrival, fired in a penalty with ten minutes remaining to wrap up the three points for Atletico.

“I’m very happy to be able to play again,” Costa told Movistar after the game.

“I have taken some hard blows but I always pick myself up again. It’s hasn’t been easy but I have enough strength to fight.”

Meanwhile, Eden Hazard will soon resume his injury-plagued Real Madrid career after recovering from a thigh problem, coach Zinedine Zidane said on Saturday.

Hazard has missed nearly 50 matches since joining Real from Chelsea in a deal worth up to 150 million euros ($184 million) in July 2019.

“We hope he will be back very soon,” Zidane said in a press conference before the champions face Eibar on Sunday.

“He is fine and he is almost completely recovered. He just needs a little more time. But he is training with us and he is very close to being able to get into the team and play.”

Hazard, who was voted the Premier League’s player of the year by his fellow players in 2015, was injured on November 28.

Zidane said it had been a difficult experience for the 29-year-old Belgian forward.

“These are difficult things to live with and I don’t like to see that (players injured). But before these injuries at Real, he never had anything and he played very regularly.”

Agencies