He might now be among the many oldest outfield gamers nonetheless energetic on the high stage of the skilled sport, however Barcelona‘s Dani Alves continues to be lighting up LaLiga as he approaches his thirty ninth birthday.
Barca fell behind to an early Yannick Carrasco opener just for Alves to kick off his involvement by offering the help for a near-immediate equaliser — the right-back floating a lofted go throughout the Atleti penalty space for Jordi Alba to deftly volley dwelling.
Dani Alves helping Jordi Alba.
What 12 months is it? pic.twitter.com/hO3FzWzhjF
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 6, 2022
Barca charged right into a 3-1 lead at half-time earlier than Alves added a fourth mere minutes after the restart, powering dwelling a free ball to attain his first objective for the Catalan membership since December 2015 (in opposition to Villanovense within the Copa del Rey). On the grand outdated age of 38 years and 276 days Alves additionally grew to become the fourth-oldest participant to attain in a LaLiga match because the flip of the century.
The help for Alves’ objective got here from younger midfielder Gavi, who wasn’t born when the Brazilian first made his LaLiga debut with Sevilla in 2002.
▪️ Gavi (17)
▪️ Dani Alves (38)Enjoyable truth: @DaniAlvesD2 made his #LaLigaSantander debut a 12 months earlier than Gavi was born. 🤯#BarçaAtleti pic.twitter.com/u9JWiUZzVa
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) February 6, 2022
The evergreen right-back can now additionally declare to be the seventh-oldest objective scorer in your entire historical past of the Spanish high flight, in addition to the oldest participant ever to attain a league objective for Barcelona of their 122 years of existence.
Nevertheless, Alves’ historic “hat trick” was accomplished as his match got here to an abrupt finish within the 69th-minute when he was despatched off for intentionally planting his studs into the calf of Carrasco because the Atleti participant sprinted away from him.
The foul was picked up by VAR and Alves was proven a straight crimson card by referee Jesus Gil — the Brazilian defender’s first dismissal for Barca since March of 2015.
And with that, Alves grew to become the primary participant to attain a objective, create an help and be despatched off in a LaLiga sport since at the very least the 2004-05 season, when Opta started recording such issues.
38-year-old Dani Alves immediately:
Aim ⚽️
Help 🎯
Pink Card 🔴Are you not entertained?! pic.twitter.com/uapoVk3U1w
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 6, 2022
Discussing his crimson card after the sport, the Barca star made a degree of defending his actions, explaining to broadcasters Movistar that he did not have a lot selection within the matter.
“I believe it’s kind of harsh. I did not have room to place my leg down,” Alves stated. “I used to be fast to fret that I had damage him [Carrasco].”
Nevertheless, the true speaking level was the outfit Alves chose to wear while addressing postmatch questions from the media, turning out in a designer patchwork jacket, shredded denims, a pristine white cattle rancher hat and a t-shirt with an image of a kitten consuming milk from a bowl on it.
El @DaniAlvesD2 “Good Loopy”. Gol y expulsión, eso si full Stream… pic.twitter.com/ILysHfm5fx
— Álex Candal. (@Alex_candal) February 6, 2022
By no means change, Dani. By no means change.