Barcelona sets record for season's best start
Source: Agencies |
December 3, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
UNBEATEN leader Barcelona pulled six points clear of chasing Atletico Madrid and set a record for the best start to a La Liga season when Lionel Messi scored twice in a 5-1 drubbing of Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
After an imperious Barcelona had crushed the struggling Basques at the Nou Camp, goals from Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil dashed Atletico Madrid's hopes of a first win against its city rival in more than a decade.
Jose Mourinho's side, in third place after a poor start to its title defense, turned in a dominant performance at the Bernabeu to put last week's defeat at Real Betis firmly behind it and its 2-0 victory trimmed the gap on Atletico to five points.
The victory extended its La Liga unbeaten streak against its city rival to 22 matches, a run stretching back to October 30, 1999.
Fourth-placed Malaga slumped to a 0-1 defeat at Getafe.
With 14 matches played, Barcelona leads on 40 points, with Atletico second on 34 and Real on 29, seven ahead of Malaga.
Good performance
"We obviously needed to beat them as they are a direct rival for the title and it was a good performance tonight," Real midfielder Xabi Alonso said in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Canal Plus.
The 164th league meeting between Barcelona and Bilbao was another stroll for Tito Vilanova's men, who were 3-0 ahead by halftime at the Nou Camp thanks to goals from Gerard Pique, Messi and Adriano.
Cesc Fabregas and Messi added two goals after the break, either side of an Ibai Gomez effort for Bilbao, with Argentine World Player of the Year Messi taking his tally for the season in La Liga to 21 in 14 matches, eight ahead of Ronaldo.
The 25-year-old is now only one short of the record haul for club and country in a calendar year of 85 set by former Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Mueller in 1972.
Barcelona's record of 13 wins and a draw improves on the previous best start to La Liga of 13 wins and a defeat by Real in the 1961-62 campaign.
"We enjoyed it a lot and we got the best out of everyone," Fabregas said. "It was extremely challenging physically but it was worth the effort."
After an imperious Barcelona had crushed the struggling Basques at the Nou Camp, goals from Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil dashed Atletico Madrid's hopes of a first win against its city rival in more than a decade.
Jose Mourinho's side, in third place after a poor start to its title defense, turned in a dominant performance at the Bernabeu to put last week's defeat at Real Betis firmly behind it and its 2-0 victory trimmed the gap on Atletico to five points.
The victory extended its La Liga unbeaten streak against its city rival to 22 matches, a run stretching back to October 30, 1999.
Fourth-placed Malaga slumped to a 0-1 defeat at Getafe.
With 14 matches played, Barcelona leads on 40 points, with Atletico second on 34 and Real on 29, seven ahead of Malaga.
Good performance
"We obviously needed to beat them as they are a direct rival for the title and it was a good performance tonight," Real midfielder Xabi Alonso said in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Canal Plus.
The 164th league meeting between Barcelona and Bilbao was another stroll for Tito Vilanova's men, who were 3-0 ahead by halftime at the Nou Camp thanks to goals from Gerard Pique, Messi and Adriano.
Cesc Fabregas and Messi added two goals after the break, either side of an Ibai Gomez effort for Bilbao, with Argentine World Player of the Year Messi taking his tally for the season in La Liga to 21 in 14 matches, eight ahead of Ronaldo.
The 25-year-old is now only one short of the record haul for club and country in a calendar year of 85 set by former Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Mueller in 1972.
Barcelona's record of 13 wins and a draw improves on the previous best start to La Liga of 13 wins and a defeat by Real in the 1961-62 campaign.
"We enjoyed it a lot and we got the best out of everyone," Fabregas said. "It was extremely challenging physically but it was worth the effort."
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