IN SPORT.ES
Barcelona's best chances at Mestalla fell to Lionel Messi, but he was not capable, this time, of dragging the Catalans back into the game as Valencia recorded a 2-0 win.
He had 11 shots across the game but was unable to beat goalkeeper Jaume Domenech, who was a wall for Valencia. Messi has never had so many shots in a league game without scoring.
The best chances came in the second half, when Barça were behind. Messi tried to rally the team at 1-0 and again at 2-0 but he proved human and ended up without a goal to his name.
He could have scored in the 68th minute, when he tried to surprise Jaume with a chip, or in the 70th, when he headed wide. And in the 73rd, via a free kick, he forced the stopper into a save. A Gabriel Paulista block denied another certain goal and even in the 93rd minute, he could have scored.