Barcelona stars shine in Elche’s Copa rout
Print Edition
BARCELONA set aside its off-field troubles and put on a show in which Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored in a 5-0 rout of Elche in a Copa del Rey last-16, first-leg match on Thursday.
Neymar opened the scoring from a Suarez cross in the 35th minute. Suarez scored his fourth goal this season when he deftly dribbled past defender Sergio Pelegrin before fooling goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton into diving the wrong way in the 40th.
Neymar was brought down in the penalty area in the 45th, earning defender Enzo Roco a yellow card, and Messi coolly converted it, earning a halftime ovation from fans at the Camp Nou. Jordi Alba controlled a superbly weighted pass from Messi to beat Tyton with a low shot in the 56th, and moments later Neymar fired a powerful shot that bounced into goal off Pelegrin’s back.
The win eased the tension at Barcelona in a week in which sports director Andoni Zubizarreta was fired, the appeal against a one-year transfer ban was lost, and it fell at Real Sociedad in the Spanish league.
Neymar was substituted soon after and he made it clear he was unhappy as he shook his head when walking off.
It was an important win for Enrique who was criticized for leaving Messi and Neymar on the bench for the defeat by Real Sociedad on Sunday. At several times during the game fans chanted his name but they were then drowned out by whistles.
“The only reflection that I will make is that which interests me, and I value the support of the fans to the players. They are the protagonists in this show and I like it that they are supported,” he said.
“This is basic if we are going to have a good season and it is great if they can back the players.”
Elsewhere in Copa del Rey fixture, Kevin Gameiro scored a goal and created another for Sevilla to beat Granada 2-1.
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