Cometh the hour, cometh the man – this idiom perfectly suits Lionel Messi who came off the bench to guide Barcelona to an emphatic 3-2 triumph over Real Betis in last night La Liga 2020-21 clash. Ronald Koeman shocked one and all when he named Lionel Messi to the bench. However, the Barcelona manager had to send the Argentina talisman on the ground in the second half with the Blaugrana trailing 0-1 in the clash. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner didn’t take long in making a mark as he netted an equalizer in the 59th minute. Real Betis 2-3 Barcelona, La Liga 2020-21 Match Result: Super Sub Lionel Messi Sparks Barca to Comeback Win at Betis.

The visitors also got some help from Real Betis fielder Víctor Ruiz who made an own goal to put Barcelona a lead. However, he redeemed himself soon after levelling the scores in the 75th minute with a sensational strike. With the game being in this fag end, Blaugrana got a winner against the run of play. Messi did all the work to set up a goal before passing the ball to Aisser Mandi who found the nets with a strike from the edge of the box. The 33-year-old was certainly enthralled with his side’s win as he expressed his delight by sharing some pictures of the game on social media. Have a look!

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This victory saw Barcelona displace Real Madrid into second on the La Liga team standings. They are now seven points behind pace-setters Atletico Madrid having played two games more. They’ll next take the field on February 11 against Sevilla in the first leg semi-final of Copa del Rey 2020-21.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2021 10:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).