FC Barcelona maintained their winning start to the season with a fine strike from Adriano Correia giving them a 1-0 victory over Valencia in La Liga action on Sunday.
The Catalan side may have lost the domestic Super Cup to Real Madrid in midweek, but they have now picked up maximum points from their first three league games and are firmly set at the top of the table.
They also maintained their five-point lead over defending champions Real, who earlier beat Granada 3-0, Cristiano Ronaldo hitting a brace to reach a landmark 150 goals in 149 games for the capital club.
Photo: AFP
Barca full-back Adriano’s drive from outside the area after 23 minutes was the only goal of the game at the Camp Nou against a Valencia side who battled hard, but spent most of the game defending deeply.
Former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song made his first start in a Barca shirt with Sergio Busquets rested and played alongside Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas who returned to the starting line-up.
Roberto Soldado went within inches of giving Valencia the lead after 11 minutes with a 23m strike which whistled past the post.
Photo: AFP
Lionel Messi had a header saved by keeper Diego Alves after 18 minutes, but the Valencia shot-stopper could do nothing about Adriano’s sweetly struck drive minutes later.
There may have been a change of manager in the summer with the departure of Pep Guardiola and the arrival of Tito Vilanova, but the soccer has remained the same and Barca knocked the ball around inside the Valencia half in trademark fashion.
Cesc had the opportunity to extend the lead, but with time in the box after receiving the ball from Messi he shot the ball wide. It has been a disappointing start to the campaign for Cesc.
Valencia were hanging on but without a second goal Barca could not relax and had their hearts in their mouth several times especially when Victor Ruiz put the ball in the back of the net on the hour mark, but was ruled off-side.
Earlier in the evening, Cristiano Ronaldo hit a brace to help Real Madrid get their league campaign back against 10-man Granada.
Despite their cup win, the pressure was starting to grow on the team with just one point from their opening games, but Ronaldo responded with a goal in either half to continue his scoring run in Madrid.
The first owed as much to poor keeping from Antonio ‘Tono’ Rodriguez as the Portuguese’s shot from a tight angle after 25 minutes went through his legs, although it did take a slight deflection off Inigo Lopez.
Ronaldo got his second after 53 minutes and Granada’s hopes of a comeback took a blow with Borja Gomez sent off six minutes later. Substitute Gonzalo Higuain completed the scoring with a tap-in 15 minutes from the end.
Still Real lacked fluidity in their passing, which manager Jose Mourinho pointed out afterwards.
Luka Modric was given a starting place and threaded the ball through to Jose Callejon inside the first few minutes, but ‘keeper Tono got down well to block him.
Ronaldo had looked sluggish in his first two league games and he failed to trouble the ‘keeper with a free-kick and a couple of shots from distance before he did break the deadlock with a soft goal from Granada’s perspective.
The visitors had shown nothing going forward and were now forced to come out of their shells, but it was Ronaldo that could have added a second before the break with a drive which Tono was alert to.
Angel Di Maria came on after half time and he set up Ronaldo, who saw his shot from inside the box saved by Tono before reacting to knock home the rebound.
Gomez was given his second yellow card for a foul on Ronaldo and then Higuain sealed the win from a Benzema pass.
Earlier, Rayo Vallecano drew 0-0 with Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao overcame Valladolid 2-0, while Levante dramatically came from behind to beat Espanyol 3-2, with defender Raul Rodriguez deflecting the ball into his own net in extra time.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or