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Fri Nov 08, 2019 1:23 pm
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BARCELONA, Spain -- Alexis Sanchez netted his first hat trick for Barcelona to spark its 4-0 win over Elche at Camp Nou on Sunday, setting up a highly anticipated showdown with Atletico Madrid next week between the top two teams in the Spanish league. New England Patriots Store . With Lionel Messi watching from the stands and Neymar waiting in the dugout, Barcelona turned to Alexis and its core of Spain internationals for a second straight victory without its star forwards on either side of the two-week winter break. Alexis opened the scoring in the seventh minute and struck twice more in the 63rd and 69th after Pedro Rodriguez had doubled the advantage and Xavi Hernandez had missed a penalty kick. "The holidays were good for me," said Alexis, who also credited first-year coach Gerardo Martino for improving his scoring rate. "I think Martino gave me the confidence I needed as a player," Alexis told GOL TV. Barcelonas victory was its ninth in as many league games at home this season, and it remained tied on points with Atletico atop the standings. The pressure is now on Real Madrid come Monday when it hosts Celta Vigo trailing the pacesetting pair by eight points. Alexis and Pedro lead the team with 11 goals each in league play, tying them as the leagues fourth-highest scorers this campaign. Both players were given ovations when substituted late, with Neymar coming on for the final minutes. Martino said he was as impressed by Alexis treble as anyone else, especially with his last goal from a free kick. "Alexis takes free kicks well in practice," Martino said. "When Leo, Xavi, Cesc or Neymar are playing, they almost never let him take one. One time he sent a free kick into the wall and we all thought it was his last. I told the bench that as a joke before he took todays kick and he ended up scoring it." Elsewhere, Real Sociedad downed Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in an entertaining Basque Country derby to close to just one point of its rivals in fourth place and Spains last Champions League spot. Carlos Bacca scored one goal and set up two more to help Sevilla beat Getafe 3-0 at home, provisionally lifting the club into sixth place behind Sociedad with its fifth victory in a six-game unbeaten streak in the league. Osasuna edged Espanyol 1-0 in Pamplona thanks to Alvaro Cejudos 33rd-minute goal to escape the relegation zone. Espanyol coach Javier Aguirre was expelled from the dugout in the second half, apparently for arguing with the referee. Messi tore his left hamstring on Nov. 11 and only returned to training with Barcelona this week, having spent time in Argentina doing rehab. He was left off the squad for Sundays game and Martino will have to decide if he brings him back against Getafe on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey to get him up to speed before the big trip to Atletico next Sunday. "Messi is fine physically and in good spirits," Martino said. "Whether he plays or not depends on his mentality, on whether he has gotten over the fear of the injury. Maybe we should have a little more patience (with him)." Alexis charged behind his marker to meet Jordi Albas cross from the left and volley it into the corner of the net to get Barcelona rolling. Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes looked a tad rusty in his first action in six weeks returning from injury in the 14th when Yiadom Boakye blasted the ball off the post, but he wasnt tested again after Pedro made it 2-0 two minutes later. Pedro followed up his hat trick at Getafe in the last round by meeting Cesc Fabregas weighted pass behind the defence, then used one touch to round goalkeeper Antonio "Tono" Rodriguez before sliding the ball inside the near post. Xavi, also back from injury, wasted penalty three minutes after halftime when he sent his spot kick wide after Fabregas had been fouled in the area by Elches Ionut Sapunaru. But Pedro took Andres Iniestas through ball and squared for Alexis to fire into the open net in the 63rd. Moments later Alexis earned his free kick from a foul outside the box that the Chile forward promptly curved over the defensive wall with a right-footed strike. The games only negative for Barcelona was defender Marc Bartra apparently hurting his leg late on. Sociedad took control of the back-and-forth match at Anoeta Stadium when Antoine Griezmann followed up his own rebound from long range for this 12th league goal of the season two minutes before halftime. Bilbao sought the equalizer but it was Sociedads Ruben Pardo who capped the victory in added time. Custom New England Patriots Jerseys . Gordon reportedly failed another drug test and is facing a one-year ban. Gordon led the NFL in yards receiving last season despite being suspended two games for violating the leagues substance-abuse policy. Cheap Patriots Jerseys . Nix is a career .218 hitter in 425 games over six seasons. The 31-year-old right-handed hitter batted .270 with a homer this spring for Tampa Bay. https://www.patriotsjerseysale.com/ .C. -- Marcus Paige and his North Carolina teammates have endured so many wild swings -- big wins, surprising losses, NCAA drama -- that no one can blame their Hall of Fame coach for wondering whats next.The Orlando Magic have opened this homestand with back- to-back victories and will try to go 3-0 Sunday evening when they host the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors have won two straight and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since the 2007-08 season. They are 2 1/2 games in front of the Brooklyn Nets in the race for the Atlantic Division title. "We are excited about it. If you told me in year one that we would be knocking on the door of the playoffs in a rebuilding situation, I take my hat off to all the guys who have come through here. DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson especially who have been here through it all," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. On Friday, the Raptors completed a home-and-home sweep of the Boston Celtics with a 105-103 victory in Toronto. Johnsons putback layup with 7.1 seconds left proved to be the difference for the Raptors. DeRozan scored 30 points and Terrence Ross donated 17 as the Raptors came off a nine-point win in Boston on Wednesday. Greivis Vasquez and Jonas Valanciunas had 15 and 13 points, respectively, while Johnson poured in eight with eight rebounds. The Raptors have won six straight against the Magic, including both games this season. Toronto has taken two in a row in Orlando and four of the last six in central Florida. The Magic started the residency with a 10-point win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, then earned an overtime victory Friday over the Charlotte Bobcats. Patriots Jerseys 2019. Arron Afflalo drilled a game-tying 3-pointer late in regulation and Jameer Nelson netted five points in overtime, as the Magic came from behind to beat the Bobcats, 110-105, at Amway Center. Orlando trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and didnt take its first lead until Nikola Vucevic knocked down back-to-back buckets for a 91-89 edge with 4:46 remaining. In overtime, Charlottes Kemba Walker hit a hook shot with 2:41 left for a 101-99 lead, but Nelson drilled a trey at the other end to give Orlando the lead for good, as the Magic held the Bobcats to just one field goal the rest of the way. Vucevic posted 24 points and a season-high 23 rebounds, while Afflalo finished with 17 points for the Magic. Nelson finished with 11, followed by 15 from Tobias Harris, 14 out of Victor Oladipo and 13 from Kyle OQuinn. "Tonight was an impressive win for us after kind of a lackluster start," Afflalo said. "I do think its important that these last nine games or so that we build some momentum, build some better habits just in case the core group of guys are back (next year)." ' ' ' |
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