Barca batter Sociedad but Real held at home
Reuters - Monday 20 August 2012, 00:12
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 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.
STIFLING TEMPERATURES
Earlier, Gonzalo Higuain gave Real a 10th-minute lead from
Angel di Maria's cross and, in stifling temperatures, they
comfortably held Valencia at bay until just before the break.
The visitors, with a host of new faces, had few ideas going
forward but levelled when Jonas headed in from a free-kick.
Real defender Pepe clashed heads with Iker Casillas trying
to prevent the goal and at half-time was substituted and taken to
hospital to spend the night as a precaution, the club said.
Keeper Alves was Valencia's outstanding player in the second
half, keeping out a string of efforts as Real raised their game
and pressed but their opponents held firm to help earn a point
for their new coach Mauricio Pellegrino.
"I expected more from my team," Mourinho told a news
conference. "We haven't played a great game, but we did enough
to win."
Up on the north coast, Real Betis overcame Athletic Bilbao
at San Mames in an eight-goal thriller.
The visitors were three goals up in 31 minutes before last
season's Europa League and King's Cup finalists responded in the
second half.
Bilbao's Oscar De Marcos got a goal back just after the
break and Mikel San Jose then struck twice to level the scores
with 14 minutes to go before Betis finally triumphed late on
through Alejandro Pozuelo and Jorge Molina with his second.
In the late game, Europa League winners Atletico Madrid came
back to draw 1-1 at Levante with a spectacular long-range shot
from Turkey midfilder Arda Turan in the 22nd minute.