<p>Lionel Messi set up Frenkie de Jong for a goal to help earn a 1-0 win at Huesca in the Argentine great's 750th overall appearance for Barcelona and his 500th in the Spanish league.</p>.<p>The 33-year-old Messi trails only Xavi Hernández as the Barcelona player with the most games played. Xavi played 767 games in all competitions, including 505 la Liga matches.</p>.<p>Messi's latest milestone came less than two weeks after he surpassed Pelé's all-time club scoring record for Santos by netting his 644th goal for Barcelona.</p>.<p>Barcelona dominated last-place Huesca but could only manage De Jong's goal in the 27th minute. Messi lobbed a pass forward to meet De Jong's run behind the defense, with the Netherlands midfielder steering the ball inside the upright.</p>.<p>Huesca goalkeeper Álvaro Fernández saved Messi's two chances, preventing him from adding to his league record of 451 goals. He blocked a free-kick just before halftime and smothered a shot from close range in the 68th.</p>.<p>Barcelona's win came after Messi sat out a 1-1 draw with Eibar last round to recover from an ankle problem.</p>.<p>The victory moved Barcelona ahead of Sevilla into fifth place. Ronald Koeman's team is 10 points behind leader Atlético Madrid, which got a late goal from Luis Suárez to win 2-1 at Alavés.</p>.<p><strong>Suarez clouch</strong></p>.<p>Atlético was moments from enduring a setback against an Alavés that played with 10 men for almost half an hour.</p>.<p>That was when Suárez came through with the 90th-minute winner. The former Barcelona striker scored from close range completing a cross by João Félix shortly after Atlético had conceded an equalizer.</p>.<p>Suárez also helped Atlético take the lead with a 41st-minute assist to Marcos Llorente, who cleared three defenders outside the area before firing a low shot that deflected off a defender before finding the net.</p>.<p>Alavés lost defender Victor Laguardia with a straight red card determined by video review for a hard foul on Thomas Lemar. The hosts equalized in the 84th when Atlético defender Felipe found his own net while trying to clear a cross inside the area.</p>.<p>The win gave Atlético a two-point lead over second-place Real Madrid, which defeated Celta Vigo 2-0 at home on Saturday. Atlético has two games in hand on its city rival.</p>.<p>“We had the game in hand, we didn't put it away, then came their goal," Atlético coach Diego Simeone said.</p>.<p>"The best part about today's game was how the team handled the final minutes without getting nervous. The goal was a good one, with our No. 9 just where he should be.” Simeone's team has won 11 of its last 12 league matches, with the only setback a 2-0 loss at Madrid four rounds ago.</p>.<p>Alavés, which stayed in 11th place, has one win in its past six matches.</p>.<p><strong>Bilbao fires coach</strong></p>.<p>Athletic Bilbao fired coach Gaizka Garitano after it defeated struggling Elche 1-0 at home thanks to a goal by Iker Muniain.</p>.<p>The club then announced it had reached an agreement in principle to hire Marcelino García Toral as Garitano's replacement.</p>.<p><strong>Sociedad slip</strong></p>.<p>Third-place Real Sociedad was held 1-1 at home by Osasuna, leaving it eight points behind Atlético.</p>
<p>Lionel Messi set up Frenkie de Jong for a goal to help earn a 1-0 win at Huesca in the Argentine great's 750th overall appearance for Barcelona and his 500th in the Spanish league.</p>.<p>The 33-year-old Messi trails only Xavi Hernández as the Barcelona player with the most games played. Xavi played 767 games in all competitions, including 505 la Liga matches.</p>.<p>Messi's latest milestone came less than two weeks after he surpassed Pelé's all-time club scoring record for Santos by netting his 644th goal for Barcelona.</p>.<p>Barcelona dominated last-place Huesca but could only manage De Jong's goal in the 27th minute. Messi lobbed a pass forward to meet De Jong's run behind the defense, with the Netherlands midfielder steering the ball inside the upright.</p>.<p>Huesca goalkeeper Álvaro Fernández saved Messi's two chances, preventing him from adding to his league record of 451 goals. He blocked a free-kick just before halftime and smothered a shot from close range in the 68th.</p>.<p>Barcelona's win came after Messi sat out a 1-1 draw with Eibar last round to recover from an ankle problem.</p>.<p>The victory moved Barcelona ahead of Sevilla into fifth place. Ronald Koeman's team is 10 points behind leader Atlético Madrid, which got a late goal from Luis Suárez to win 2-1 at Alavés.</p>.<p><strong>Suarez clouch</strong></p>.<p>Atlético was moments from enduring a setback against an Alavés that played with 10 men for almost half an hour.</p>.<p>That was when Suárez came through with the 90th-minute winner. The former Barcelona striker scored from close range completing a cross by João Félix shortly after Atlético had conceded an equalizer.</p>.<p>Suárez also helped Atlético take the lead with a 41st-minute assist to Marcos Llorente, who cleared three defenders outside the area before firing a low shot that deflected off a defender before finding the net.</p>.<p>Alavés lost defender Victor Laguardia with a straight red card determined by video review for a hard foul on Thomas Lemar. The hosts equalized in the 84th when Atlético defender Felipe found his own net while trying to clear a cross inside the area.</p>.<p>The win gave Atlético a two-point lead over second-place Real Madrid, which defeated Celta Vigo 2-0 at home on Saturday. Atlético has two games in hand on its city rival.</p>.<p>“We had the game in hand, we didn't put it away, then came their goal," Atlético coach Diego Simeone said.</p>.<p>"The best part about today's game was how the team handled the final minutes without getting nervous. The goal was a good one, with our No. 9 just where he should be.” Simeone's team has won 11 of its last 12 league matches, with the only setback a 2-0 loss at Madrid four rounds ago.</p>.<p>Alavés, which stayed in 11th place, has one win in its past six matches.</p>.<p><strong>Bilbao fires coach</strong></p>.<p>Athletic Bilbao fired coach Gaizka Garitano after it defeated struggling Elche 1-0 at home thanks to a goal by Iker Muniain.</p>.<p>The club then announced it had reached an agreement in principle to hire Marcelino García Toral as Garitano's replacement.</p>.<p><strong>Sociedad slip</strong></p>.<p>Third-place Real Sociedad was held 1-1 at home by Osasuna, leaving it eight points behind Atlético.</p>