MADRID: Lionel Messi scored one goal and made two as La Liga leaders Barcelona eased to a 4-0 win away to struggling Mallorca, making the perfect return to action after Spanish football’s three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The champions got off to a flying start when Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal scored with a diving header in the second minute, while Danish international Martin Braithwaite scored his first goal for Barca later in the first half.

Jordi Alba then added a third goal for Barca in the 79th minute after latching on to a through ball from Messi, who had also set up Braithwaite’s goal. The Argentine then completed the scoring with a deflected strike in stoppage time.

The win takes Barca on to 61 points after 28 games, five clear of nearest challengers Real Madrid, who host Eibar on Sunday in their first game back.

In Italy Napoli reached the Coppa Italia final with a 1-1 draw at home to Inter Milan as Dries Mertens cancelled out a Christian Eriksen goal scored direct from a corner to became the club’s all-time record scorer. Mertens thus became the club’s all-time record scorer.

In Romania the league resumed with two playoff matches among the bottom eight teams played behind closed doors, ending a three-month break due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In Germany Leon Goretzka’s 86th minute goal gave Bayern Munich a 2-1 victory over visitors Borussia Monchengladbach, meaning they need just one win in their last three matches to secure the Bundesliga title.

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