European champions Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday with second-half goals by Xavi and reserve forward Pedro Rodriguez.
Athletic striker Oscar de Marcos opened the scoring in the 44th minute as he evaded both Gerard Pique and Daniel Alves before seeing his shot clip off Carles Puyol and fly over Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes into the corner of the net.
Barca leveled in the 58th minute when Eric Abidal sent a cross to the back post where Rodriguez rolled it back for Xavi, who slotted it into the corner from close range at Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Rodriguez scored the winner nine minutes later when he stepped past Athletic Bilbao midfielder Markel Susaeta and hammered a shot inside the near post from 25m.
Barcelona, who have won the Spanish Super Cup seven times, will host the return leg on Sunday.
The tournament is contested each year between the league champions and the winners of the King’s Cup, but as Barcelona won both competitions they are facing beaten Cup finalists Athletic.
PHOTO: AP
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was without a number of players, with attacking midfielder Andres Iniesta and striker Lionel Messi still struggling with thigh injuries.
New signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic is recovering from a left hand injury. The Swedish striker, who joined Barcelona from Inter, is expected to make his debut in Wednesday’s friendly against Manchester City. Athletic, who are seeking to win their first major trophy since 1984, had no injury problems.
Players and spectators observed a minute’s silence before the start of the match in honor of Espanyol captain and defender Daniel Jarque, who died earlier this month of heart failure while on a pre-season tour of Italy.
Barcelona became the first Spanish side to win the treble — the league, King’s Cup and the Champions League — last season.
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