Lionel Messi came on on as a substituteand had an immediate impact for Barcelona, scoring twice as Barça beat Real Betis 4-2 in La Liga while Sevilla secured a 3-0 victory over Espanyol.
Atletico Madrid failed to cut down Barcelona's La Liga lead with a 0-0 draw in Malaga, while Real Betis and Real Sociedad has their goal-fest finish at 3-3 and Mallorca ambitions of staying up were bolstered by a 2-1 win at Granada.
Parma have announced the signing of Colombia international striker Dorlan Pabon from Atletico Nacional on a five-year contract.
Workers around the globe may be enjoying a well earned rest for Labour Day, but it is business as usual in Latin America’s premier club competition as a raft of continental heavyweights begin the knockout phase.
Chilean side Union Espanola and Atletico Nacional of Colombia both claimed their places in the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores, while Arsenal and Deportivo Quito stayed alive with wins.
Following a 5-0 defeat to International, The Strongest are looking to restore some pride, while Corinthians enteratin Cruz Azul in the pick of this week's Copa Libertadores fixtures.
