<p>Former Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini scored a dramatic late equaliser as Levante held Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw on Saturday, leaving Zinedine Zidane&#39;s men 18 points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona.</p>

<p>Sergio Ramos headed the visitors into an 11th-minute lead with his 50th La Liga goal for the club, but Levante equalised before half-time through Emmanuel Boateng.</p>

<p>Isco came off the bench to put Real back in front late on, but Pazzini stunned the struggling defending champions with an 89th-minute strike on his debut.</p>

<p>&quot;We controlled the game, especially in the first half, and in the second we managed to do the hard part -- get back into the game and score the second goal,&quot; said Zidane.</p>

<p>&quot;Then we should have been ready, we could have avoided the second goal, but we didn&#39;t and it&#39;s hard because it&#39;s two dropped points.&quot;</p>

<p>The Champions League is Real&#39;s only realistic chance of more silverware this season, but they&#39;ll need to find a significant upturn in form to challenge Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, first-leg tie in Madrid on February 14.</p>

<p>&quot;We have to work, even more, it&#39;s football and the opponent is there to try to put you in difficulty,&quot; Zidane added.</p>

<p>Barcelona can move 21 points clear of their arch-rivals with victory at Espanyol on Sunday when second-placed Atletico Madrid welcome third-placed Valencia to the Wanda Metropolitano.</p>

<p>Real didn&#39;t take long to forge ahead at Levante, as centre-back Ramos met a Toni Kroos corner with a downward header which home goalkeeper Oier fumbled into his net under pressure from Karim Benzema.</p>

<p>They almost doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark as Oier managed to scramble the ball away from Cristiano Ronaldo after spilling Kroos&#39; tame strike.</p>

<p>But Levante hit back in the 42nd minute as 21-year-old Ghanaian Boateng marked his fourth league start for the team with his first La Liga goal.</p>

<p>Jose Luis Morales ran through on goal as Ramos found himself caught out of position, and although Keylor Navas saved his effort, Boateng met the loose ball with a cool finish into the far corner.</p>

<p>The away side continued to look frail at the back and was lucky not to fall behind as Morales led another rapid counter-attack from a Real corner which ended with Navas making a sprawling save to deny Jefferson Lerma.</p>

<p><strong>- Isco improves Real -</strong></p>

<p>The reigning European champions improved after Isco replaced Gareth Bale midway through the second half, with the Spain midfielder shooting straight at Oier and Benzema having an effort deflected wide.</p>

<p>Isco&#39;s introduction did pay off with only nine minutes remaining, as Benzema capitalised on some sloppy defending and pulled the ball back for the 25-year-old to smash home his fifth league goal of the season.</p>

<p>Levante should have equalised in the 85th minute, but substitute Roger contrived to head wide with the goal gaping from only a couple of yards out.</p>

<p>The home side did snatch a point, though, as Pazzini scored less than 11 minutes after coming off the bench to make his debut.</p>

<p>The 33-year-old, who only joined on loan from Verona on Wednesday, easily got in behind the hapless Real defence and slotted into the far corner to pull Levante three points clear of the relegation zone.</p>

<p>Sevilla&#39;s push for a top-four finish and a Champions League place took a massive dent earlier on Saturday, as they were thrashed 5-1 at Eibar.</p>

<p>Chilean international Fabian Orellana scored twice as Eibar moved up to seventh, just one point and one place behind Sevilla.</p>

<p>Fifth-placed Villarreal had Daniele Bonera sent off in the first half in a 2-1 defeat by Real Betis, as Betis forward Loren Moron scored twice on his debut after being promoted from the reserve team.</p>

<p>Alaves pulled five points clear of the bottom three as former Barcelona man Munir El Haddadi scored what proved to be the winner in a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Sergio Ramos headed the visitors into an 11th-minute lead with his 50th La Liga goal for the club, but Levante equalised before half-time through Emmanuel Boateng

Former Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini scored a dramatic late equaliser as Levante held Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw on Saturday, leaving Zinedine Zidane's men 18 points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona. Sergio Ramos headed the visitors into an 11th-minute lead with his 50th La Liga goal for the club, but Levante equalised before half-time through Emmanuel Boateng. Isco came off the bench to put Real back in front late on, but Pazzini stunned the struggling defending champions with an 89th-minute strike on his debut. "We controlled the game, especially in the first half, and in the second we managed to do the hard part -- get back into the game and score the second goal," said Zidane. "Then we should have been ready, we could have avoided the second goal, but we didn't and it's hard because it's two dropped points." The Champions League is Real's only realistic chance of more silverware this season, but they'll need to find a significant upturn in form to challenge Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, first-leg tie in Madrid on February 14. "We have to work, even more, it's football and the opponent is there to try to put you in difficulty," Zidane added. Barcelona can move 21 points clear of their arch-rivals with victory at Espanyol on Sunday when second-placed Atletico Madrid welcome third-placed Valencia to the Wanda Metropolitano. Real didn't take long to forge ahead at Levante, as centre-back Ramos met a Toni Kroos corner with a downward header which home goalkeeper Oier fumbled into his net under pressure from Karim Benzema. They almost doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark as Oier managed to scramble the ball away from Cristiano Ronaldo after spilling Kroos' tame strike. But Levante hit back in the 42nd minute as 21-year-old Ghanaian Boateng marked his fourth league start for the team with his first La Liga goal. Jose Luis Morales ran through on goal as Ramos found himself caught out of position, and although Keylor Navas saved his effort, Boateng met the loose ball with a cool finish into the far corner. The away side continued to look frail at the back and was lucky not to fall behind as Morales led another rapid counter-attack from a Real corner which ended with Navas making a sprawling save to deny Jefferson Lerma. - Isco improves Real - The reigning European champions improved after Isco replaced Gareth Bale midway through the second half, with the Spain midfielder shooting straight at Oier and Benzema having an effort deflected wide. Isco's introduction did pay off with only nine minutes remaining, as Benzema capitalised on some sloppy defending and pulled the ball back for the 25-year-old to smash home his fifth league goal of the season. Levante should have equalised in the 85th minute, but substitute Roger contrived to head wide with the goal gaping from only a couple of yards out. The home side did snatch a point, though, as Pazzini scored less than 11 minutes after coming off the bench to make his debut. The 33-year-old, who only joined on loan from Verona on Wednesday, easily got in behind the hapless Real defence and slotted into the far corner to pull Levante three points clear of the relegation zone. Sevilla's push for a top-four finish and a Champions League place took a massive dent earlier on Saturday, as they were thrashed 5-1 at Eibar. Chilean international Fabian Orellana scored twice as Eibar moved up to seventh, just one point and one place behind Sevilla. Fifth-placed Villarreal had Daniele Bonera sent off in the first half in a 2-1 defeat by Real Betis, as Betis forward Loren Moron scored twice on his debut after being promoted from the reserve team. Alaves pulled five points clear of the bottom three as former Barcelona man Munir El Haddadi scored what proved to be the winner in a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo.

Pazzini late show sees Real Madrid held at Levante

<p>Barcelona escaped a scare on Philippe Coutinho&#39;s first start as Lionel Messi struck with a trademark free-kick to drag the La Liga leaders back from a goal down to beat Alaves 2-1 and restore their 11-point lead at the top.</p>

<p>Messi whipped home a beautiful free-kick six minutes from the end to down resilient Alaves, who are just two points from the drop zone in 17th despite John Guidetti silencing the Camp Nou with a shock breakaway opener in the 23rd minute.</p>

<p>Luis Suarez had broken the away side&#39;s tough resistance with a sweet volley from Andres Iniesta&#39;s cross 18 minutes from the end, setting the stage for Messi&#39;s dramatic and stylish winner.</p>

<p>The Argentine&#39;s strike ensures that Barca stays unbeaten in the league, and keeps Atletico Madrid 11 points back despite their 3-0 hammering of Las Palmas earlier.</p>

<p>With Diego Costa out injured, Atletico took a while to get going and had to wait until the 61st minute to open the scoring, Antoine Griezmann latching on to Juanfran&#39;s fine ball down the right flank before dinking neatly over Las Palmas stopper Leandro Chichizola.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="pt">???? FOR&Ccedil;A BAR&Ccedil;A! ????❤️ <a href="https://t.co/BUvCswTmzM">pic.twitter.com/BUvCswTmzM</a></p>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/957743864542121984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;The first half was not very good but the coach gave us a good talking to at half-time, and we responded well,&quot; said Griezmann, whose goal was just his seventh in the league this season but his fourth in league and cup since the turn of the year.</p>

<p>&quot;I feel good, I&#39;ve started the year well and I hope to continue the goals and assists.&quot;</p>

<p>Frenchman Griezmann started the move that led to Atletico&#39;s second, intercepting a loose pass and setting Angel Correa free to scamper down the pitch and feed Fernando Torres, who shifted the ball onto his right foot and lashed home just his second goal of the season, the 600th scored by Atletico in all competitions during Diego Simeone&#39;s seven-year reign as coach.</p>

<p>An easy tap-in from Thomas Partey after great work from Yannick Carrasco two minutes from time completed the second-half rout of a desperate Las Palmas, who remain second from bottom and five points from safety.</p>

<p>Sevilla was denied the chance to close within three points of Real Madrid and the Champions League places after Angel Rodriguez scored a controversial equaliser deep in stoppage time to snatch a 1-1 draw for Getafe at the Roman Sanchez Pizjaun stadium.</p>

<p>Luis Muriel had slid in a 72nd-minute for hosts but with seconds to spare Juan Cala challenged Sevilla keeper Sergio Rico for a hopeful high ball, and with the Sevilla fans and players clamouring for a free-kick, Angel lashed home the leveller and celebrated under a hail of whistles and boos.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Argentine's strike ensures that Barca stays unbeaten in the league, and keeps Atletico Madrid 11 points back despite

Barcelona escaped a scare on Philippe Coutinho's first start as Lionel Messi struck with a trademark free-kick to drag the La Liga leaders back from a goal down to beat Alaves 2-1 and restore their 11-point lead at the top. Messi whipped home a beautiful free-kick six minutes from the end to down resilient Alaves, who are just two points from the drop zone in 17th despite John Guidetti silencing the Camp Nou with a shock breakaway opener in the 23rd minute. Luis Suarez had broken the away side's tough resistance with a sweet volley from Andres Iniesta's cross 18 minutes from the end, setting the stage for Messi's dramatic and stylish winner. The Argentine's strike ensures that Barca stays unbeaten in the league, and keeps Atletico Madrid 11 points back despite their 3-0 hammering of Las Palmas earlier. With Diego Costa out injured, Atletico took a while to get going and had to wait until the 61st minute to open the scoring, Antoine Griezmann latching on to Juanfran's fine ball down the right flank before dinking neatly over Las Palmas stopper Leandro Chichizola. ???? FORÇA BARÇA! ????❤️ pic.twitter.com/BUvCswTmzM — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 28, 2018 × "The first half was not very good but the coach gave us a good talking to at half-time, and we responded well," said Griezmann, whose goal was just his seventh in the league this season but his fourth in league and cup since the turn of the year. "I feel good, I've started the year well and I hope to continue the goals and assists." Frenchman Griezmann started the move that led to Atletico's second, intercepting a loose pass and setting Angel Correa free to scamper down the pitch and feed Fernando Torres, who shifted the ball onto his right foot and lashed home just his second goal of the season, the 600th scored by Atletico in all competitions during Diego Simeone's seven-year reign as coach. An easy tap-in from Thomas Partey after great work from Yannick Carrasco two minutes from time completed the second-half rout of a desperate Las Palmas, who remain second from bottom and five points from safety. Sevilla was denied the chance to close within three points of Real Madrid and the Champions League places after Angel Rodriguez scored a controversial equaliser deep in stoppage time to snatch a 1-1 draw for Getafe at the Roman Sanchez Pizjaun stadium. Luis Muriel had slid in a 72nd-minute for hosts but with seconds to spare Juan Cala challenged Sevilla keeper Sergio Rico for a hopeful high ball, and with the Sevilla fans and players clamouring for a free-kick, Angel lashed home the leveller and celebrated under a hail of whistles and boos.

LaLiga: Messi strikes late to defeat Alaves

<p>Though Real Madrid started the&nbsp;season on a high, the La Liga giant have&nbsp;struggled of late with the&nbsp;gap between them and Barcelona has widened so much so&nbsp;it&#39;s&nbsp;really tough to catch up with Catalan giant as the title rate is anything but over.</p>

<p>On Saturday, Villarreal registered their first victory ever at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid. Pablo Fornals of Villarreal struck with 3 minutes remaining to escape with a 1-0 win on Saturday.</p>

<p>Real Madrid got 11 corners and had 28 shots on target but could not convert any of them as their accuracy was below par.</p>

<p>&quot;We didn&#39;t deserve to lose. We had the better chances but the ball did not want to go in,&quot; said Zidane after Real&#39;s second straight home league defeat.</p>

<p>&quot;There is no explanation for this, I think we did everything we could. We had a lot of chances to score a goal. It&#39;s a bad result, it will last for some time. I can say nothing more to my players about what they have done. The only thing I can say is we are having a bad moment, we are struggling a bit. It&#39;s a loss that is difficult to digest,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>A few days back Real Madrid saw their team draw with a second-division club Numancia 2-2 in the Copa del Rey.</p>

<p>Madrid also drew at Celta Vigo 2-2 a week ago and lost to Barcelona 3-0 at the Bernabeu at the end of 2017.</p>

<p>Real is playing without their captain&nbsp;Sergio Ramos, as he is out due to&nbsp;an injury.&nbsp;He has been diagnosed with a muscular tear in the left soleus muscle.</p>

<p>Recently, Sergio posted his training&nbsp;video on social media which shows he is recovering fast.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd2khTwHe1j/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Al final el trabajo tiene su recompensa siempre. &iexcl;Vamos! In the end, hard work always pays off. #HalaMadrid</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sergioramos/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Sergio Ramos</a> (@sergioramos) on <time datetime="2018-01-12T14:25:19+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 12, 2018 at 6:25am PST</time></p>
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<p>It is expected that he will be back&nbsp;before the first leg of the Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain on February 14.</p>

<p>Madrid&#39;s coach Zidane is definitely under the immense pressure of losing his job.</p>

<p>Also, the club is going through the crisis&nbsp;situation of having the worst season in past 20 years. Last season, they were unstoppable and reigning the Spanish&nbsp;leagues.</p>

<p>On one hand, Villarreal created history but on the other Real Madrid faced a devastating loss at their home ground.&nbsp;Villarreal moved to fifth place with the victory on the table.</p>

<p>The defending La Liga champions are currently fourth in the table. Now, the rival club FC Barcelona sits 16 points clear of Real Madrid. No club in history has ever covered such huge margin of points.</p>

<p><strong>LaLiga Table:</strong></p>

<p><b>Club&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Points</b></p>

<p>Barcelona&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 48</p>

<p>Atletico Madrid&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 42</p>

<p>Valencia&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 40</p>

<p>Real Madrid&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 32</p>

<p>Villarreal&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 31</p>

<p>Sevilla&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;29</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


After losing 0-1 against Villarreal, Real Madrid is going through the crisis situation of having the worst season in past 20 years

Though Real Madrid started the season on a high, the La Liga giant have struggled of late with the gap between them and Barcelona has widened so much so it's really tough to catch up with Catalan giant as the title rate is anything but over. On Saturday, Villarreal registered their first victory ever at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid. Pablo Fornals of Villarreal struck with 3 minutes remaining to escape with a 1-0 win on Saturday. Real Madrid got 11 corners and had 28 shots on target but could not convert any of them as their accuracy was below par. "We didn't deserve to lose. We had the better chances but the ball did not want to go in," said Zidane after Real's second straight home league defeat. "There is no explanation for this, I think we did everything we could. We had a lot of chances to score a goal. It's a bad result, it will last for some time. I can say nothing more to my players about what they have done. The only thing I can say is we are having a bad moment, we are struggling a bit. It's a loss that is difficult to digest," he added. A few days back Real Madrid saw their team draw with a second-division club Numancia 2-2 in the Copa del Rey. Madrid also drew at Celta Vigo 2-2 a week ago and lost to Barcelona 3-0 at the Bernabeu at the end of 2017. Real is playing without their captain Sergio Ramos, as he is out due to an injury. He has been diagnosed with a muscular tear in the left soleus muscle. Recently, Sergio posted his training video on social media which shows he is recovering fast. Al final el trabajo tiene su recompensa siempre. ¡Vamos! In the end, hard work always pays off. #HalaMadrid A post shared by Sergio Ramos (@sergioramos) on Jan 12, 2018 at 6:25am PST × It is expected that he will be back before the first leg of the Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain on February 14. Madrid's coach Zidane is definitely under the immense pressure of losing his job. Also, the club is going through the crisis situation of having the worst season in past 20 years. Last season, they were unstoppable and reigning the Spanish leagues. On one hand, Villarreal created history but on the other Real Madrid faced a devastating loss at their home ground. Villarreal moved to fifth place with the victory on the table. The defending La Liga champions are currently fourth in the table. Now, the rival club FC Barcelona sits 16 points clear of Real Madrid. No club in history has ever covered such huge margin of points. LaLiga Table: Club Points Barcelona 48 Atletico Madrid 42 Valencia 40 Real Madrid 32 Villarreal 31 Sevilla 29

Zinedine Zidane laments, Real Madrid struggles

<p>Philippe Coutinho is to be officially unveiled as a Barcelona player on Monday as he completes a 160-million-euro ($192 million) move the third richest in history that he described as &quot;a dream come true&quot;.</p>

<p>The 25-year-old former Liverpool playmaker will be officially presented to the world&#39;s media after Barca coach Ernesto Valverde predicted the Brazilian would comfortably fit into a team already containing global superstar Lionel Messi.</p>

<p>In a video message on Sunday showing Coutinho posing for photographers at the Camp Nou wearing a Barcelona jacket, he said: &quot;I want to play, win trophies and make the supporters happy. Those are my objectives.</p>

<p>&quot;Barca fans, I&#39;m here now. It&#39;s a dream come true!&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="fr">???? Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/Phil_Coutinho?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Phil_Coutinho</a>&#39;s unveiling as a Bar&ccedil;a player - LIVE!<br />
???? <a href="https://t.co/WYp1O1DkYa">https://t.co/WYp1O1DkYa</a> ????<br />
???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoutinhoDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoutinhoDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/OMQ0dNCNwI">pic.twitter.com/OMQ0dNCNwI</a></p>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/950329428818657281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Coutinho has agreed to a deal through to 2023 and is looking forward to playing alongside Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta.</p>

<p>He described them as well as club stalwarts Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets as &quot;idols&quot;.</p>

<p>Coutinho has already lined up alongside Suarez for 18 months at Liverpool before the Uruguayan made the same move to&nbsp;FC Barcelona in 2014.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">???? Fans are beginning to fill Camp Nou as they wait to see <a href="https://twitter.com/Phil_Coutinho?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Phil_Coutinho</a> in a Bar&ccedil;a shirt for the first time... ???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoutinhoDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoutinhoDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/sigOrJtixF">pic.twitter.com/sigOrJtixF</a></p>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/950338150626463752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;Everybody knows about his quality. He has been playing at the highest level for years now and that is important,&quot; said Suarez.</p>

<p>&quot;Now we need to make sure he feels at home because we know that changing club is always difficult, but I think he is the type of player who will fit well into the team.&quot;</p>

<p>Valverde admitted that it would be a challenge shoehorning his new recruit into a squad already running away with the Spanish league title.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">???? Done deal! <a href="https://twitter.com/Phil_Coutinho?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Phil_Coutinho</a><br />
???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoutinhoDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoutinhoDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/8djvhmytAO">pic.twitter.com/8djvhmytAO</a></p>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/950340408818749440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;Coutinho is a player who I think can bring a lot to us,&quot; said Valverde. &quot;He&#39;s an important signing.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;I have seen him play in various positions -- on the right, the left, in the middle, on the wings. We will evaluate all of this... but, of course, I don&#39;t think he will play as a goalkeeper!&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The timing of Barca&#39;s move for Coutinho has been questioned because he will not be able to play in the Champions League having already played in the competition for Liverpool this season.</p>

<p>But he is likely to be used to give 33-year-old Iniesta a rest, keeping the veteran midfielder fresh for the Champions League.</p>

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Coutinho has agreed to a 5-year deal and is looking forward to playing alongside Messi, Andres Iniesta

Philippe Coutinho is to be officially unveiled as a Barcelona player on Monday as he completes a 160-million-euro ($192 million) move the third richest in history that he described as "a dream come true". The 25-year-old former Liverpool playmaker will be officially presented to the world's media after Barca coach Ernesto Valverde predicted the Brazilian would comfortably fit into a team already containing global superstar Lionel Messi. In a video message on Sunday showing Coutinho posing for photographers at the Camp Nou wearing a Barcelona jacket, he said: "I want to play, win trophies and make the supporters happy. Those are my objectives. "Barca fans, I'm here now. It's a dream come true!" ???? Watch @Phil_Coutinho's unveiling as a Barça player - LIVE! ???? https://t.co/WYp1O1DkYa ???? ???????? #CoutinhoDay pic.twitter.com/OMQ0dNCNwI — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 8, 2018 × Coutinho has agreed to a deal through to 2023 and is looking forward to playing alongside Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta. He described them as well as club stalwarts Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets as "idols". Coutinho has already lined up alongside Suarez for 18 months at Liverpool before the Uruguayan made the same move to FC Barcelona in 2014. ???? Fans are beginning to fill Camp Nou as they wait to see @Phil_Coutinho in a Barça shirt for the first time... ???????? #CoutinhoDay pic.twitter.com/sigOrJtixF — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 8, 2018 × "Everybody knows about his quality. He has been playing at the highest level for years now and that is important," said Suarez. "Now we need to make sure he feels at home because we know that changing club is always difficult, but I think he is the type of player who will fit well into the team." Valverde admitted that it would be a challenge shoehorning his new recruit into a squad already running away with the Spanish league title. ???? Done deal! @Phil_Coutinho ???????? #CoutinhoDay pic.twitter.com/8djvhmytAO — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 8, 2018 × "Coutinho is a player who I think can bring a lot to us," said Valverde. "He's an important signing." "I have seen him play in various positions -- on the right, the left, in the middle, on the wings. We will evaluate all of this... but, of course, I don't think he will play as a goalkeeper!" The timing of Barca's move for Coutinho has been questioned because he will not be able to play in the Champions League having already played in the competition for Liverpool this season. But he is likely to be used to give 33-year-old Iniesta a rest, keeping the veteran midfielder fresh for the Champions League.

Camp Nou, fans welcome Coutinho

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