Messi fuels Barca comeback

Paris: Lionel Messi scored a spectacular free kick to give Barcelona a 2-1 win over struggling Alaves on Sunday while Luis Suarez was also on target as the Catalans battled back from a goal down at halftime to stay 11 points clear at the top of La Liga.

Alaves were the only team to win at the Nou Camp in the league last season and looked set to overshadow Philippe Coutinho's first start for Barca when Sweden striker John Guidetti gave them a shock lead in the 23rd minute, falling over as he lashed the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Suarez finally levelled for the Catalans in the 72nd minute, scoring for the eighth league game in a row after some impressive saves from visiting goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco had kept Barca at bay, while Messi's sumptuous free kick in the 84th gave them a seventh consecutive league win. Atletico Madrid overcame the absence of injured striker Diego Costa to beat Las Palmas 3-0 while Sevilla were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Getafe due to a controversial equaliser in injury time.

Sevilla looked set to beat Getafe when Luis Muriel slid in to give them the lead in the 72nd minute but the visitors levelled in the 93rd when Angel Rodriguez lashed into an empty net after Juan Cala crashed into goalkeeper Sergio Rico. Leganes beat Espanyol 3-2 at home with the help of two own goals from Mario Hermoso, who completed an unwanted hat-trick by scoring a late consolation strike for his side.