Messi scores as Barca reach final

Lionel Messi scored within two minutes of coming on as a substitute to help Barcelona complete a 3-1 comeback win over Mexico's Atlante yesterday and reach the Club World Cup final against Estudiantes.

Forward Guillermo Rojas put the CONCACAF champions ahead in the fifth minute and midfielder Sergio Busquets equalised after 35.

Ballon d'Or winner Messi came off the bench to wild cheers from the near-capacity 40,952 crowd at the Zayed Sports City in the 53rd minute and put the European champions ahead almost immediately.

Barcelona increased their lead when a fine run down the left and into the box by Andres Iniesta ended with Pedro scoring from close in.

Barca meet Argentina's Estudiantes, the South American champions, in the cup final on Saturday.

CONCACAF champions Atlante went ahead after five minutes when their Argentine keeper Federico Vilar punted a free-kick deep into the Barcelona half, defender Rafael Marquez missed the ball and Rojas darted through, lobbing keeper Victor Valdes and turning it into the net.

Vilar dived to his right to save a header by Busquets from a corner from the right taken by Xavi in the seventh minute.

The Mexican side could have had a second three minutes later when right-back Navarro sprung the offside trap to run through on goal, but instead of shooting he elected to pass, failing to find his two team-mates in the middle.

Busquets equalised 10 minutes before half-time with a low right-footed, first-time shot from the left after Yaya Toure had flicked on with his head a corner from the right by Xavi.

Messi, having been a doubt for the match with a right ankle injury, came on for midfielder Toure and within two minutes raced on to a fine through pass from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to round Vilar and score.

Pedro added the third in the 67th minute when he hit the ball past Vilar after Iniesta had won the ball on the left and made a jinking run into the box.

The 22-year-old forward now has a remarkable record of having scored in all six competitions Barca have taken part in this year.

Substitute Bojan Krkic fluffed an excellent chance right in front of goal to increase Barca's lead and they could have scored again from several late moves with Messi causing havoc in the Atlante defence.

Auckland fifth

Substitute Riki van Steeden scored in the dying seconds to give Auckland City an upset 3-2 win over 10-man TP Mazembe for fifth place in the Club World Cup yesterday.

Striker Jason Hayne had earlier scored twice for the Oceania champions from New Zealand, who won two of their three matches in the tournament.