Messi keeps Barcelona alive

Lionel Messi kept Barcelona’s title hopes alive with two goals and an assist to see off Real Sociedad 3-2 as Spain’s top two edged five-goal thrillers ahead of next weekend’s El Clasico. Earlier on Saturday, Isco struck at the death to keep Real Madrid three points clear and with a game in hand at the top of the table after twice coming from behind to beat Sporting Gijon 3-2. Barcelona will need Messi on this form if it is to produce another miracle Champions League fightback against Juventus on Wednesday from a 3-0 first leg defeat suffered in midweek. “I am more than happy with the performance of the players and their ability to manage the frustration after what we experienced in the Champions League this week,” Barca boss Luis Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar. Two shy of 500 The Argentine is now just two off his 500th Barca goal as he smashed home an effort from 25 yards to open the scoring. Messi then took his tally to 45 goals in 44 games this season with a far less spectacular finish as he bundled home from close range after Geronimo Rulli had saved from Luis Suarez. However, Barca passed up the chance to enjoy a comfortable evening in a three-goal spell in as many minutes just before half-time. Firstly, Samuel Umtiti turned Inigo Martinez’s driven effort into his own net. Paco Alcacer, deputising for the suspended Neymar, briefly restored Barca’s two-goal lead with a composed finish from Messi’s pass. Yet, Sociedad scored again almost straight from kick-off as Xabi Prieto cushioned William Jose’s cross into the bottom corner. German champion and league leader Bayern Munich sorely missed its top scorer Robert Lewandowski as it was held to a goalless draw by 10-man Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. The stalemate left Bayern top of the Bundesliga on 69 points from 29 games, eight more than closest rival RB Leipzig which booked Champions League football next season for the first time in the club’s history with a 4-0 home win over Freiburg. Lacking cutting edge Still reeling from Wednesday’s 2-1 home defeat by holder Real Madrid in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg, Bayern again lacked the cutting edge without Lewandowski who is struggling to recover from a shoulder injury. The prolific Pole has scored 38 goals in 40 games in all competitions this season and Bayern could have done with his lethal finishing against Leverkusen as it missed a barrage of gilt-edged chances. Arturo Vidal, Kingsley Coman, Thiago Alcantara and Thomas Muller, playing as the lone striker in a makeshift formation, all came close before the home side had their Croatian defender Tin Jedvaj sent off on the hour for a second bookable foul. Substitute Philipp Lahm missed Bayern’s final and best chance in the 85th minute, when he dragged his shot wide from five metres with only goalkeeper Bernd Leno to beat after a good run and cross by Muller.