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Messi and Neymar spark rout of Sociedad
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Neymar scored his first league goal and helped Barcelona ease past Real Sociedad 4-1 in the Spanish league on Tuesday and stay perfect after six games.
Atletico Madrid also stayed perfect thanks to two goals by Diego Costa in a 2-1 win against Osasuna, giving it 18 points. Barcelona stayed top with its better goal differential.
Neymar opened the scoring in the fourth minute before two more goals from Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets inside 25 minutes left Real Sociedad reeling at Camp Nou.
Neymar made the most of hesitation between two Sociedad defenders and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to rush forward and poke the ball home for his first goal since joining the champions in the close season for US$76 million.
“It doesn’t matter that it was a scrambled goal, what is important is that it went in,” said Neymar. “The team is getting better all the time.”
Messi lunged headlong four minutes later to score past Bravo from Neymar’s cross for his seventh league goal this season.
A minute later Bravo was forced to sprint forward and punch away a high ball as Neymar arrived alone into the penalty area.
Sociedad captain Xabier Prieto fell to the ground clutching his right thigh and had to be substituted in midfield by Imanol Agirretxe in the 21st.
Busquets scored Barcelona’s third two minutes later after the ball rebounded off the crossbar from Messi’s close-range shot.
Mascherano was substituted at half time by Marc Bartra, and Barcelona upped the pressure on Bravo, who was forced to save twice and watch another shot go just over the bar in a 10-minute spell.
Sociedad got one back when Agruirretxe beat Gerard Pique and set up Alberto de la Bella’s tap in past a stranded Victor Valdes in the 64th.
“One of our starting premises was not to allow them to score in the first few minutes, which is something we’ve done in other years, and look what happened,” said de la Bella.
In the 76th minute, Messi dribbled past three defenders before crossing to Bartra who scored to complete the rout.
Elsewhere, Levante drew 1-1 with Valladolid and Malaga beat Almeria 2-0.
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