Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo, newcomers to Barcelona, scored their inaugural targets for La Blaugrana throughout a dominant 5-0 victory towards Real Betis in a La Liga match held on Saturday.
Earlier Atletico Madrid had been hammered 3-0 by Valencia at Mestalla with coach Diego Simeone labelling it the “weakest” efficiency throughout his time on the membership.
Barcelona’s five-star show was impressed by Felix, who netted the opener, with additional targets from Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Raphinha and Cancelo.
The emphatic victory locations the Catalans provisionally high of the desk, some extent away from rivals Real Madrid who host Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Barcelona performed with a vibrancy they lacked at occasions final season, whilst they lifted La Liga, warming up for his or her Champions League opener on Tuesday towards Royal Antwerp.
Xavi handed Felix and compatriot Cancelo their first begins for the membership and so they rapidly impressed dwelling followers and their coach.
“We’re talking about two players there are absolutely no doubts about in terms of individual quality,” Xavi advised reporters.
“The two bring something different that improves the team. Individual quality is what makes the difference.”
Betis, lining up with a again 4 composed solely of former Barcelona gamers, performed with attacking intent, in contrast to many different groups who will go to the short-term Olympic Stadium dwelling of the Spanish champions.
However, Barcelona moved forward after 25 minutes when Oriol Romeu fed Felix.
The on-loan Atletico ahead managed the ball, knocked it previous goalkeeper Rui Silva after which squeezed dwelling clinically from a decent angle.
“I’m very happy to be starting again, the feelings are very good – it’s easy to play in this team,” Felix advised Movistar.
Felix, signed by Atletico Madrid for a membership file price of 126 million euros ($134 million) in 2019, failed to seek out constant type within the capital and was loaned to Chelsea final season.
“I am happy, the change has done me good, me and my family, I am very happy here,” he added.
Lewandowski doubled Barcelona’s lead when he ran onto Andreas Christensen’s cross and slotted dwelling, however the objective was crafted by Felix, whose intelligent dummy allowed the ball to seek out the Polish striker.
The ‘shark’ bites
Torres, chosen forward of sweet sixteen starlet Lamine Yamal, netted the third, with a low free-kick across the wall – the primary Barcelona have scored since a Lionel Messi strike in May 2021.
The winger, who has nicknamed himself a “shark” because the summer time after engaged on psychological features of the sport and discovering his greatest degree of health, celebrated effusively.
“I didn’t know we hadn’t scored a free-kick since Messi,” mentioned Torres.
“I have a lot of confidence, I am working on it and I’ll keep doing that.”
Raphinha, who changed Torres, rapidly added the fourth simply moments after coming into the fray with a drilled effort from exterior the world into the underside nook.
Cancelo gleefully added the fifth to cap a superb particular person show, skinning former Barcelona left-back Juan Miranda and driving dwelling throughout objective.
Whether new-look Barcelona can match Europe’s greatest stays to be seen however this rampant show highlighted the improved attacking high quality at their disposal this season.
Weakest sport
Atletico coach Simeone mentioned his workforce put of their “weakest” efficiency of his 12-year reign of their three-goal thrashing by Valencia.
Hugo Duro netted a brace for the hosts and Javi Guerra tucked dwelling the third as they dominated.
Los Che have began the season properly after flirting with relegation till the ultimate day of the earlier marketing campaign, and this was their most interesting outing but below coach Ruben Baraja.
“We had the weakest game since I arrived at the club, and we have to congratulate our opponents,” mentioned Simeone.
Defeat was the worst approach for Atletico to arrange for the beginning of their Champions League marketing campaign on Tuesday at Lazio.
“They came into the game with a lot more intensity and if you don’t match it … it’s impossible to win any game,” mentioned Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
“We have to look in the mirror. We know we can give a lot more than we gave today.”
Earlier Athletic Bilbao earned a convincing 3-0 win over Cadiz to maneuver provisionally third.
Mallorca earned a late 1-0 win over Celta Vigo by Vedat Muriqi’s objective.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
