BARCELONA came out on the winning side of a five-goal thriller against Real Sociedad on Saturday as Lionel Messi’s brace drove the title contender to a 3-2 victory and back within three points of La Liga leader Real Madrid.

    Messi struck twice to put the Blaugrana 2-0 up before Samuel Umtiti’s own goal and Paco Alcacer’s quick reply made it 3-1, and Xabi Prieto fired in Sociedad’s second on the stroke of halftime.

    Alcacer started in place of the suspended Neymar, who served the first match of the three-game ban he received as a result of the dissent he showed following a red card in the recent 2-0 defeat to Malaga.

    Manager Luis Enrique could hardly have hoped for Barca to get off to a slicker start at the Camp Nou on Saturday, where Messi needed just over a quarter of an hour to set his side on their way to victory.

    The Argentinian undoubtedly gets his best finishing done inside the area, but Sociedad stopper Geronimo Rulli was helpless to prevent his countryman’s opening thunderbolt from 25 meters.

    Messi’s second strike wasn’t quite as crisp in comparison, but Enrique will have been encouraged to see Alcacer playing his part in the build-up alongside Luis Suarez.

    Umtiti was unfortunate to score in his own net after Inigo Martinez’s shot thumped off the Barcelona center-back and past Marc-Andre ter Stegen just five minutes later, cutting the home side’s goal advantage down to one.

    However, Alcacer was on hand to restore the two-goal cushion with his fourth goal in seven matches, when Messi spotted his run down the left side of Sociedad’s box and fed the former Valencia man to ease Barca ahead.

    (SD-Agencies)