Barcelona Beats Getafe 4-1: Lionel Messi Scores Two Goals Coming Off Bench (VIDEO)

Barcelona maintained its 100 percent start to the season as it defeated Getafe 4-1 at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

 

The Catalan giants labored during the early stages of the match but took a single-goal lead into the break through Adriano Correia. Second-half substitute Lionel Messi then netted a brace before a Javier Mascherano own goal robbed the visitors of a clean sheet, but David Villa rounded off the win.

 

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Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has blasted his players after they slipped eight points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona on Saturday.

 

Madrid lost 1-0 at Sevilla, leading to Mourinho questioning his side's commitment ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League group stage opener at home to Manchester City.

"We have only really played well in the Spanish Super Cup," said Mourinho.

 

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Questions to answer as Barcelona entertain Valencia

Madrid: FC Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova faces another tough test as his side entertains Valencia in the Primera Liga Sunday.

Wednesday's 1-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercup was Barca's first setback of the season and raised several questions over Vilanova's side, reports Xinhua.

Defensive errors cost Barcelona dear against Madrid as Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano both misjudged fairly straightforward passes and that could persuade Vilanova to recall captain, Carles Puyol, who missed out on Wednesday with a broken right cheek.

Puyol could return to the side wearing a protective mask, as he has done in the past, but there is doubt over Dani Alves, who had to pull out of the side at the last minute Wednesday after suffering a muscle problem.

Alex Song looks to be in line for a start after performing impressively in the second half in Madrid, while Xavi Hernandez could be rested at the start of the game.

One of the big doubts in the start of the season at Barcelona is the role of Cesc Fabregas. The former Arsenal player was used in an advanced role last season by Pep Guardiola, but Vilanova clearly doesn't see Cesc as a deep lying forward.

The problem is with Sergio Busquets, Iniesta, Song and Xavi all occupying the central midfield roles, Cesc doesn't appear to have a place in the middle of the pitch and has spent a lot of the early season watching from the dugout with a none-too happy look on his face.

Vilanova may look for a way to give Cesc minutes against Valencia and that could see Iniesta also earn a rest after his trip to Monaco, where he was named as UEFA footballer of the 2011-2012 season Thursday.

Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona: Super Cup slips away from Barça (2-1)

FC Barcelona, led by an outstanding Iniesta, came back from 1-0 behind to take a one-goal lead into the second leg of the Spanish Supercup....

Roger Bogunyà

 

Madrid (FCB).- Barça lost the Spanish Super Cup in Madrid by the narrowest of margins after they were defeated 2-1 and with the 3-2 win in the Camp Nou last week lost on the away goals rule. FC Barcelona could walk away with their heads high though, as they came back from a poor start, finding themselves two down and with just ten men within the first half hour. Adriano’s red was a tough blow, but Messi’s goal at the end of the half brought Tito Vilanova’s team right back into the tie.

The Madrid crowd were made to suffer despite their team playing the last hour with that one man advantage, as Barça’s ten men then put in a great second half, with chances for Pedro, Alba, Montoya and in the dying seconds, Messi, whose shot went inches wide.

 

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Soccer-Barcelona to appeal against Vilanova dismissal

 

Barcelona will appeal against what they believe was an excessively harsh dismissal of coach Tito Vilanova in Sunday's 2-1 La Liga win at Osasuna, the club said on Monday.

Vilanova, who was making his away debut in the league after taking over from Pep Guardiola at the end of last season, was sent from the bench in the second half when he protested the referee's decision not to award a free kick for a challenge on Sergio Busquets.

The referee said in his match report he had punished Vilanova "for angrily protesting a passage of play, having been warned by the fourth official".

"The expulsion was excessive because I didn't say anything that was out of line," Vilanova told a post-match news conference on Sunday.

Lionel Messi scores twice as Barcelona come from behind to beat Osasuna 2-1

 

Lionel Messi scored two late goals Sunday as Barcelona came from behind to win 2-1 at Osasuna in the Spanish league.

 

The hosts looked took the lead after Joseba Llorente’s acrobatic 17th-minute goal and it wasn’t until the 76th that Messi leveled, guiding Alexis Sanchez’s short pass beyond goalkeeper Andres Fernandez.

Osasuna went down to 10 men when Francisco Punal was red carded for arguing the goal was offside.

Messi then latched on to Jordi Alba’s cross in the 80th for the winner.

Mourinho bemoans 'offside' Barca goal

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho hit out at refereeing decisions after watching his side lose 3-2 to Barcelona in a pulsating Spanish Supercopa first leg at the Camp Nou on Thursday.

PA PhotosJose Mourinho: Unimpressed by Barca equaliser

The "Only One" suggested the key moment in the game had been Pedro Rodríguez's equaliser, which came moments after Cristiano Ronaldo had headed Madrid in front.
At his post-match press conference, Mourinho said Pedro had been offside. "I do not want to criticise the key decisions in a game," he told reporters. "I do not want to do it this season - at least not in the second game.
"The thing I did not like about the game was Barcelona's first goal came from an assistant referee's mistake, but it's not a big deal."

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Barcelona beats Madrid 3-2 in Spanish Super Cup

 

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Barcelona rallied to beat Real Madrid 3-2 on Thursday night in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, giving Tito Vilanova a victory in his first game as a head coach against Jose Mourinho.

Cristiano Ronaldo put the defending La Liga champions ahead in the 55th minute with a header off a corner kick, only for Pedro Rodriguez to tie the score one minute later for the Copa del Rey winner.

Lionel Messi converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute after Sergio Ramos tripped Andres Iniesta, and Iniesta fed Xavi Hernandez for a 3-1 lead in the 78th, delighting a crowd of 91,728.

 

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