Messi returns to put Barca on brink of title

SundayMallorca 1-1 LevanteR Zaragoza 3-0 RayoSevilla 3-0 EspanyolBarcelona 4-2 BetisMADRID. Lionel Messi came off the substitute’s bench to score twice and help Barcelona to a 4-2 win at home to Real Betis that moved them to within striking distance of the La Liga title on Sunday.The World Player of the Year had missed Barca’s humiliating Champions League semi-final exit to Bayern Munich on Wednesday as he recovered from a hamstring problem, but came on in the 56th minute at 2-2 to score the goals that sealed the victory. The Argentine’s 16th double of the season took his league tally to 46, just four short of last season’s record breaking total.Barca have 88 points with four games left to play, 11 ahead of second-placed Real Madrid who triumphed 4-3 at home to Real Valladolid on Saturday.Tito Vilanova’s side, who need two more points to secure a fourth league title in five years, could claim the trophy on Wednesday if Real fail to win at home to Malaga.“We have to think we will need two more points because Madrid will probably collect all theirs,” Vilanova told a news conference.Pep Guardiola’s former assistant went on to defend his management of Messi’s injury after not using him against Bayern during the week.“If we hadn’t managed it this way he might not have made the Betis game to help us,” he said. “He lacks fitness because he hasn’t trained much in the last month and a half.”

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Messi returns to put Barca on brink of title