Barcelona registered their first league win of the season and they did it in style with a 6-1 demolition of 10-man Sporting Gijon on Sunday.
Barcelona started the match in the unusual position of third from bottom after struggling to convert chances but they let off steam by running riot in Gijon. Two goals inside five minutes from Xavi and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o put Barca in control and an own goal made it 3-0.
Andres Iniesta then capped a brilliant move with a delicate finish and Argentine Lionel Messi scored twice in the final five minutes to push the Catalans up to ninth.
PHOTO: AP
Barca are now just three points behind the leaders.
“It was three vital points and I am sure we will get better,” Guardiola said. “Scoring first really helped us and apart from the result what really pleased me was how we retrieved the ball quickly and were very active when we had it.”
Real Madrid moved to within a point of the leading quartet with a 2-0 triumph at Racing Santander.
Midfielder Ruben de la Red scored his first league goal for the club and Ruud van Nistelrooy produced a deadly finish as the champions rose to sixth in the table.
The clean sheet will also please coach Bernd Schuster who criticized his team for conceding five goals in their opening two league fixtures.
“At the beginning of the season there are always problems that emerge that you need to work on,” Schuster said. “We are working day by day and the most important thing is that the attitude is right. I thought we were much better tonight.”
Villarreal came from a goal down to defeat Numancia 2-1 with Jose Llorente scoring the winner with his first goal for the club.
“It is no surprise that Barcelona lost here and it was a difficult game,” said Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini. “Patience was the key.”
Valencia lead the standings on goal difference after a late Juan Mata goal downed 10-man Osasuna at the Mestalla.
Mata struck seven minutes from time for the breakthrough after Osasuna had been reduced to ten men with Cesar Azpilicueta received his marching orders just after the hour for a second booking.
Almeria continued their great start to the season with a 1-0 home victory over Malaga. Alvaro Negredo struck on 74 minutes with the decisive goal.
Honors were shared in the hotly-contested derby match between Real Betis and Sevilla at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera which ended 0-0.
“We didn’t lose but perhaps we should have been more ambitious like we were in the final 25 minutes,” Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez said.
Elsewhere, Deportivo La Coruna played out a 0-0 draw with Real Mallorca.
Spanish Liga BBVA
Team P GD PTS
1 Valencia 3 4 7
2 Almeria 3 3 7
3 Villareal 3 2 7
4 Espanyol 3 2 7
5 Atletico Madrid 3 7 6
6 Real Madrid 3 2 6
7 Sevilla 3 1 5
8 Getafe 3 1 5
9 Barcelona 3 4 4
10 Athletic Bilbao 3 0 4
11 Deportivo 3 0 4
12 Numancia 3 -1 3
13 Valladolid 3 -2 3
14 Recreativo Huelva 3 -4 3
15 Osasuna 3 -1 2
16 Real Betis 3 -1 2
17 Racing Santander 3 -2 2
18 Mallorca 3 -3 2
19 Malaga 3 -5 1
20 Sporting Gijon 3 -7 0
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