Sunday, September 20, 2009

Primera Liga round-up

Primera Liga round-up

Champions Barcelona maintained their perfect start to the campaign with a 5-2 thrashing of Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou.

Barcelona raced into a four goal lead, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic opening the scoring after just two minutes, Lionel Messi adding a second on 16 minutes, Dani Alves a third on 31 minutes and Seydou Keita the fourth three minutes before the interval.

Sergio Aguero then pulled one back for the visitors on the stroke of half-time and Diego Forlan added a second six minutes from the end before Messi completed the rout with his second deep into injury time.

The defeat leaves Atletico languishing second from bottom in the table.

Sevilla sealed a second consecutive Primera Division win thanks to a professional performance in beating Osasuna 2-0.

Manolo Jimenez's side made light of the absence of star striker Luis Fabiano, who was missing with an ankle problem, to record a fully-deserved victory.

Sevilla's first win in Pamplona since the 1992-93 season was achieved thanks to goals from Alvaro Negredo and Frederic Kanoute.

Negredo gave the Andalusians the lead seven minutes before the break with his first official goal for the club since joining from Real Madrid in the summer.

Kanoute then sealed a routine victory for the visitors halfway through the second period when he lashed home from the edge of the box.

Osasuna finished the game with 10 men after Sergio Fernandez was sent off nine minutes from time.

Espanyol climbed off the foot of the Primera Division table after collecting their first goals and first points of the new season at Deportivo La Coruna.

Jose Maria Callejon put Espanyol ahead in the 21st minute and the former Real Madrid youngster then set up a second for Juan Forlin just before the break after Depor had drawn level through Adrian Lopez.

Espanyol increased their advantage at the start of the second half when former Depor man Joan Verdu netted against the club he left this summer, and although the hosts pulled a late goal back through Nouioui Lassad, the visitors held on for the spoils.

Real Mallorca gave a harsh lesson to Primera Liga new boys Tenerife as they produced a slick attacking performance to continue their excellent start to the new season.

Mallorca made their early dominance count as they went ahead through Luis Suarez after 16 minutes, and went out of sight in a one-sided second half, when Aritz Aduriz, Julio Alvarez and Pierre Webo completed a happy evening for Gregorio Manzano's side.

It was a miserable night for Tenerife, though, as the visitors finished the match with only nine players on the pitch following the dismissals of defenders Ezequiel Luna and Marc Beltran.

Nasief Morris powered in a late header to earn Racing Santander their first victory of the season, as Malaga left La Rosaleda defeated.

Morris climbed unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box to send an unstoppable header into the bottom corner of the net to give Racing the triumph after Malaga had appeared to have salvaged a point minutes earlier.

Racing had taken a 37th-minute lead through Manuel Arana but Malaga equalised 18 minutes from time thanks to a brilliant free-kick, but it was Morris' intervention eight minutes after that which proved decisive.



TFC roll out carpet for Real MadridPrimera Liga round-up