FC Barcelona squashed literally Levante 7 - 0 with the damage done in the first half of the game. Neymar & Iniesta started on the bench which may have lifted the eyebrows of some but the team showed they were well tuned without both. The goals came in this order:
- Alexis 3 rd min
- Messi 12th min
- Alves 23rd min
- Pedro 26th min
- Messi 42nd min ( penalty)
- Xavi 45th min
- Pedro 73rd min
Coach Martino did give Neymar a run late in the second half in for Alexis & Iniesta substituted Messi also late in the second half. Great confidence start for Barça which continues were they left last season.
Top match at Osasuna with the visitors Granada side winning 1 - 2 . Fought out encounter with opportunities to both sides that in the end the "small details" gave the victory to one team over the other. Granada scored their two goals in the first half via El-Arabi in the 38th min & later a Yebda header from a corner in the 45th min.
Osasuna reacted & pulled one back in the 58th min thanks to Puñal but it finally wasn't enough for the home team. Granada could have scored a third in the 63rd min but Andres Fernandez stop the penalty.
Real Madrid won a difficult encounter against Real Betis 2 - 1. Real Madrid was "out of tune" & the communication between some players was out of frequency with especially with the ball passing. Also the new set up positions for some players - Ozil of the right side, Cristiano Ronaldo more forward than usual, Isco in the scheme etc - may have confused things as well. Lastly, an old problem that just doesn't go away, the defensive line is still the Real Madrid weak spot & apart defender Sergio Ramos looked slow.
Having said this Real Betis was very good tonight & deserved at least a draw. Plenty of dangerous chances with the first goal coming their way in the 13th min from Molina. Betis player Cedrick drove crazy the Real Madrid defence with his speed & Nosa hit the bar from a header.
Real Madrid equalized thanks to Benzema in the 25th min but the Frenchmen looks below form & will need to work. Young Morata came on late in the second half & he looked real sharp & will be knocking on the Nº 9 door.
The second half was more Real Madrid with more chances that were solved by Betis keeper Anderson & his defenders. Then in the 85th min a Marcelo pass found the head of Isco who got the second & the winner.
To finish the other news was that Casillas was left on the bench along with Arbeloa. Real Madrid goalie Diego Lopez who played did well tonight & the Spanish National Team Captain has some work ahead to win back his place.
Very equal game between two teams with grand ambitions this season. Sevilla FC lost 1-3 to Atletico de Madrid in a match with numerous opportunities for both sides & some excellent goals. As with the other Liga matches it was "the small details" that tipped the balance & this game was very even, so even , Sevilla may have been hard done by as they perhaps deserved more.
For Atletico de Madrid Diego Costa was the key with his two goals - 34th & 78th min - while Sevilla got their goal from a long range Perotti driver in the 37th min & they missed plenty of chances throughout the whole encounter & paid for it. The match "killer" was the third goal by Cristian "Cebolla" Rodriguez for Atletico in the 91st min which was text book stuff, a marvel.
Three points to Atletico.
Tomorrow three more games scheduled of Round 1 of Liga.
Tweet
No comments:
Post a Comment