Eurosport - Sun, 02 Sep 22:39:00 2007
Real Madrid hit five past Villarreal on Saturday to make it two wins out of two so far this season while Barcelona scored their first win of the new campaign with a 3-1 victory over Athletic Club.
VILLARREAL 0-5 REAL MADRID
At El Madrigal Real Madrid overcame some stiff first half opposition from Villarreal to ultimately teach their hosts a footballing lesson and run out 5-0 winners.
Summer signing Wesley Sneijder netted twice with Raul, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Guti completing the rout as Real maintained their perfect start to the new campaign.
Raul got the ball rolling after 39 minutes, putting Real ahead in typical fashion. The veteran striker proved he is still at the top of his game by making a run in between two Villarreal defenders to bravely reach a long Sneijder ball ahead of the advancing Sebastian Viera and prod home.
Villarreal reacted well to going behind and should have gone in at the break at least on level terms. Only a last ditch Christoph Metzelder tackle prevented Jon Dahl Tomasson a shooting opportunity on 42 minutes before Iker Casillas saved from Giuseppe Rossi on the stroke of half time.
Villarreal came out of blocks quickly after the break, Tomasson stinging Casillas' fingers seconds after the restart, but some clinical finishing during a two minute spell soon after effectively sealed the victory for Real.
Sneijder bagged his first goal in a Real shirt with a stunning free kick in the 49th minute before Sergio Ramos found Van Nistelrooy with an inch perfect cross to the far post a minute later, the Dutchman applying the clinical final touch.
Sneijder's second came on 73 minutes when he took one touch to control Guti's pass before firing a shot just inside the post with the outside of his right boot. Guti himself then completed the scoring with a shot from the edge of the box with ten minutes remaining.
BARCELONA 3-1 ATHLETIC CLUB
A first half brace from Ronaldinho and Yaya Toure's debatable strike gave the hosts their first goals of the season and all three points.
Having drawn their opener last weekend against Racing Santander, Barca seemed intent on making a point that they are still very much contenders for the title this season.
And a blistering first half was testament to that school of thought as Ronaldinho conducted the Barca orchestra and the hosts threatened to run riot in their first game at the Nou Camp this season.
It took the Brazilian just nine minutes to make an impact on the game, blasting the hosts into the lead with a superbly struck free kick from 25 yards out which flew into the top right hand corner.
Ronaldinho very nearly repeated the feat minutes later from an almost identical position but this time his effort went just the wrong side of the bar.
Thierry Henry, making his first start since his summer move from Arsenal, then won the penalty which handed Ronaldinho a chance to convert his second of the night. Hope
Although the decision was harsh on Athletic - keeper Gorka Iraizoz was hit in the face by Henry's trailing leg rather than him actually bringing the striker down - Barca deserved a second, such was their dominance of the opening period.
The argument was of no import to Ronaldinho, who slotted home the spot kick with aplomb.
Ronaldinho could even have finished the half with a hat-trick, but his first time effort at the far post in injury time was well blocked by Iraizoz.
Barca started the second half in a similar vein, Henry seeing a shot cannon back off the woodwork in a second successive game. The Frenchman was eventually replaced by exciting youngster Giovani Dos Santos, who nearly made an immediate impact only to see his measured effort go wide of the mark.
Athletic briefly threatened to get back into the game, Susaeta improving on his earlier near miss from a free kick with a cool finish after a terrible flap from Victor Valdes on 71 minutes.
But Barca responded immediately, although again there was an element of luck to it. Yaya Toure let fly with a thunderbolt which struck the underside of the bar before bouncing out to safety, only for the linesman to belatedly signal he thought the ball had crossed the line. Later television replays were inconclusive to say the least.
Both teams were reduced to ten men as full time approached, Barca's Rafael Marquez receiving his marching orders for a second bookable offence and Athletic's Koikili going for a dangerous hack on Giovani.
ALMERIA 1-2 VALENCIA
Almeria had Valencia against the ropes until two minutes after the restart when Spain striker Fernando Morientes fired in from the edge of the area.
The visitors held the lead until the 63rd when Almeria striker Alvaro Negredo headed in from a corner.
Valencia's Italian defender Emiliano Moretti poked in the winner from a flicked on free kick 10 minutes from time.
ATLETICO MADRID 1-1 MALLORCA
Atletico were held to a 1-1 draw by Mallorca at the Vicente Calderon.
Mallorca broke away to score through striker Daniel Guiza in the 19th minute to leave the Primera Division's second highest spenders struggling until fullback Mariano Pernia struck from the edge of the area in the 77th.
GETAFE 1-1 RECREATIVO
A tight game swung Recre's way when Getafe had midfielder Mario Cotelo sent-off after alleged play-acting from visiting striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle in the 65th minute.
The French striker went on to put Recre ahead on a break in the 85th, but in the final minute Getafe striker Manu del Moral headed an equaliser from a free kick.
REAL BETIS 2-2 ESPANYOL
Real Betis scored two late goals to snatch a 2-2 draw at home to Espanyol.
Luis Garcia turned in Pablo Zabaleta's pull-back in the 33rd minute and then spun to lash in a spectacular second in the 42nd.
Betis finally found a way past Espanyol's Cameroon keeper Carlos Kameni when striker Fernando looped in a header six minutes from time. A minute later, Brazilian striker Rafael Sobis rounded Kameni for the equaliser.
VALLADOLID 2-2 DEPORTIVO
Valladolid battled out an entertaining 2-2 draw at home to Deportivo, who came back from behind twice to earn a point.
Centre back Jose Antonio Garcia Calvo headed Valladolid in front from a corner on the stroke of halftime but Uruguayan striker Sebastian Taborda headed Depor level in the 54th.
A cool touch and finish from the impressive Sisi restored Valladolid's lead in the 72nd, before Depor striker Riki's clever lob ensured parity again in the 78th.
Sevilla's match against Osasuna was postponed to allow Sevilla to play AEK in a postponed Champions League qualifer following the tragic death of wingback Antonio Puerta.
Source: Eurosport
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