MADRID (Reuters) - Lionel Messi's double and a David Villa goal on his return form injury helped Barcelona hammer visitors Real Sociedad 5-1 to give new coach Tito Vilanova the perfect start to their La Liga campaign on Sunday.
Carles Puyol and Pedro also scored to as Barca claimed an immediate lead in the standings over arch-rivals Real Madrid who were held 1-1 at home by a feisty Valencia side.
The champions had earlier dominated the match at the Bernabeu, but were frustrated by a new-look Valencia and some outstanding saves from goalkeeper Diego Alves.
World Player of the
Year Messi, who scored a league record 50 goals last season, carried on
where he left off by settling Barca down with quick strikes to give
them a 3-1 lead inside 15 minutes at the Nou Camp.
Pedro volleyed in a
fourth just before the break but the biggest cheer was reserved for
Spain striker Villa when he was brought on in the 74th minute after
eight months out with a broken leg and then stroked home the fifth goal
near the end.
"It's always
important to start with a win," Vilanova, who has stepped up from
assistant to replace Pep Guardiola, told a news conference.
"It has been a
perfect night because David (Villa) has returned with a goal. I am very
pleased but this is only the beginning."
Although it is the first round of matches, Barca's two-point advantage over Real is significant because Jose Mourinho's side only dropped 14 points in their 38 games last term on their way to a league record tally of 100.
No comments:
Post a Comment