La Liga - Barca teach Sociedad lesson to stay top

Sun, 12 Dec 21:57:00 2010

A rampant Barcelona crushed Real Sociedad 5-0 at the Camp Nou to cement their lead at the top of La Liga.

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The goals came from David Villa, Andres Iniesta, Bojan and Lionel Messi, who netted twice to join Cristiano Ronaldo as the league’s top scorer with 17 goals in 15 matches.

With Real Madrid briefly going top after a 3-1 win at Real Zaragoza earlier on Sunday, Pep Guardiola’s flamboyant side took Martin Lasarte’s hard-working team apart in one of the most one-sided top-level encounters this season.

Indeed, with around 90 per cent possession and countless chances, Barca could easily have bettered their eight-goal spanking of Almeria, while the Basque side did not test Victor Valdes once as they followed up a big win over Athletic Bilbao with a wretched performance.

It was a typical Barcelona display as their full-strength midfield and attack ran rings around poor Sociedad.

They took the lead on nine minutes, jeers turning to cheers after the referee played on following a foul on Xavi, who was involved in a multi-pass move that culminated in Pedro rifling a low cross for Villa at the far post to smash into the roof of the net.

Seconds later Pedro angled a bicycle kick over the bar, while Diego Rivas blocked a Villa finish and Messi was denied by Alberto De la Bella on the line.

Daniel Alves was responsible for some marauding runs from right-back that will surely see him usurp Maicon as Brazil’s number one, but he was guilty of a shocking miss when - set to tap in Villa’s cut back on the line - he passed back to keeper Claudio Bravo, although admittedly from an offside position.

It mattered little as Barca were swarming forward with unerring frequency. Iniesta made it 2-0 with a drilled finish to complete another mind-boggling passing move although questions will be asked of Bravo, beaten at his near post.

Poor Bravo would have realised that he had a difficult hour ahead, and he gave the impression of a man in torment when he rashly came off his line to miss a ball aimed for Villa. A comedy of errors followed but thankfully for Bravo his defence were able to clear.

The Barca bullying continued to the break and was capped off immediately after the restart with a goal that could only be described as provocative. Messi started on the right wing and exchanged no less than three one-twos with Alves before drilling into the bottom left corner.

It was a splendid goal, impudent to the point of rudeness, and one that drew Messi to within one goal of top scorer Ronaldo in a 'Pichichi' race that is developing into a battle between 'good and evil'.

As if they were not already relaxed, Barca slipped further into their mesmerising passing groove: substitute Bojan was denied a simple finish by a Mikel Gonzalez block, before Iniesta and then Villa were prevented from finishing by some desperate defending.

Home and dry, Barca searched for the perfect goal, refusing to shoot or cross until at least a dozen passes were completed.

Meanwhile, the biggest reaction Sociedad got was when former Espanyol captain Raul Tamudo was jeered on to the pitch by the home fans as he made an appearance form the bench.

The furthest forward they got was when Tamudo was incorrectly called offside with his run off the back four - Carles Puyol playing him on - although that came a minute after Messi flashed a drive off the post with jovial ease.

The fourth was inevitable and possibly the best as Messi cut inside from the right, zipped past four defenders and slipped a low finish across Bravo and into the bottom left.

That was with four minutes left but there was still time for another as Bojan, given two bites at the cherry, rifled a finish into the roof of the net after Bravo saved his initial shot.

Sociedad were soon put out of their misery as Barcelona reclaimed top slot in spectacular fashion.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Comment 22 - 41 of 41

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  1. barca is the pump action of the world, guardiola is the­ aimer, iniesta is the trigger, messi is the bullet, all­ other clubs are the target and we the fans are the­ maker of that pump action. FCC till death.

    From adeekpon, on Tue 14 Dec 18:15

  2. Barcelona is the best team in the­ world;Messi,Iniesta,Xavi&Co. are the­ best(especially Messi:I love him!!),Guardiola is a­ genious and I'm happy to live in this era.Visca el­ Barca!!!4 ever.

    From Ciceu, on Tue 14 Dec 3:35

  3. thats for Ibn A

    From Andreas, on Tue 14 Dec 3:11

  4. De las glorias deportivas
    que campean por España
    va el­ Madrid con su bandera,
    limpia y blanca que no­ empaña.
    Club castizo y generoso,
    todo nervio y­ corazón,
    veteranos y noveles,
    veteranos y noveles
    miran­ siempre tus laureles
    con respeto y emoción.
    ¡Hala­ Madrid!,
    ¡hala Madrid!,
    noble y bélico­ adalid,
    caballero del honor.
    ¡Hala Madrid!,
    ¡hala­ Madrid!,
    a triunfar en buena lid,
    defendiendo tu­ color.
    ¡Hala Madrid!, ¡hala Madrid!,
    ¡hala­ Madrid..........!
    .. ..
    . . . .
    . .. . .. .
    .... .­ ...
    ¡Hala Madrid!, ¡hala Madrid!,
    ¡hala­ Madrid..........!
    Enemigo en la contienda,
    cuando­ pierde da la mano
    sin envidias ni rencores,
    como bueno­ y fiel hermano.
    Los domingos por la tarde,
    caminando a­ Chamartín,
    las mocitas madrileñas,
    las mocitas­ madrileñas,
    van alegres y risueñas,
    porque hoy juega su­ Madrid.
    ¡Hala Madrid!,
    ¡hala Madrid!,
    noble y bélico­ adalid,
    caballero del honor.
    ¡Hala Madrid!,
    ¡hala­ Madrid!,
    a triunfar en buena lid,
    defendiendo tu­ color.
    ¡Hala Madrid!, ¡hala Madrid!,
    ¡hala­ Madrid..........!
    .. ..
    . . . .
    . .. . .. .
    .... .­ ...
    ¡Ha la Madrid!, ¡hala Madrid!,
    ¡hala­ Madrid..........!

    From Andreas, on Tue 14 Dec 3:05

  5. i would choose to play for fc barcelona in camp­ nou,rather than playing for brazil in maracana.

    From m haji, on Tue 14 Dec 1:07

  6. long long long live live live fc barcelona.the lengend­ football club ever ever ever

    From m haji, on Tue 14 Dec 0:58

  7. FC Barcelona is “more than a club” in Catalonia because­ it is the sports club that most represents the country­ and is also one of its greatest ambassadors. Also, for­ different reasons, FC Barcelona is “more than a club”­ for many people living elsewhere in Spain, who see­ Barça as a staunch defender of democratic rights and­ freedom.

    From m haji, on Tue 14 Dec 0:56

  8. Barca All the way.There is no team like barca.I think­ for the next five years,they would still be on­ top.Real madrid should just know that and submit to­ this great talents.They should take lessons from these­ champions.I mean personal and team lessons....

    From Felix, on Mon 13 Dec 19:41

  9. to tonybush ...in the same logic of yours i can MAKE­ THIS FALSE STATEMENT How can it be interesting if I­ can­ CONFIDENTLY bet and win the outcome of most (if­ not­ all) matches played by Rafael nadal and Roger­ federer against other players (they both lose a handful­ of matches in the whole year and mostly against each­ other)……the Dutch league is very much competitive these­ days does that make it more interesting to watch?? If­ you are not biased football fan you would enjoy what­ you are seeing from these two teams specially the extra­ ordinary level of Barcelona

    From someone, on Mon 13 Dec 19:29

  10. tonybush is probably one of these people that week in­ week out watches the same old Premiership matches that­ look more like a Sunday morning kick about in the park.

    From pat r, on Mon 13 Dec 18:14
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I cant belive that someone watches these TOO PREDICTIVE­ matches...How can it be interesting if I can­ CONFIDENTLY bet and win the outcome of most (if not­ all) matches played by Barca and Real Madrid....I find­ it nothing but amazing that people do "enjoy"­ such games...

    From tonybush, on Mon 13 Dec 18:01

  12. This barca team is ridicules….truly astonishing

    From someone, on Mon 13 Dec 17:26

  13. here's a quiz question for real madrid fans, what­ does real madrid and real sociedad have in common??? ­ they both have the word 'real' and have­ conceded five goals to barca. Haha. Give me five­ madrid.

    From Peppy Ozboy, on Mon 13 Dec 16:59

  14. People who always complain that PL is more competitive­ as compared to La Liga should remember that the none of­ the PL top teams have improved but infact they have­ gone down one level making them equal to the other­ league teams.

    whereas Barca & Real are investing­ where needed and improving making them a class apart,­ hence the big difference.

    From Slyshooter, on Mon 13 Dec 16:56

  15. Barca is the best team in the world by far

    From adams, on Mon 13 Dec 16:20

  16. Messi is a football God

    From hasan, on Mon 13 Dec 16:03

  17. barca is the most incredible team in the world.

    From ogom, on Mon 13 Dec 15:26

  18. Any team with REAL in their name will be beaten 5:0!!!

    From Chiku, on Mon 13 Dec 14:25

  19. And let's add Liverpool, Blackpool, WHU and Bolton,­ Spurs, Arsenal and Man City to that list, and Chelsea­ these days!

    From anthonyhorne17, on Mon 13 Dec 12:26

  20. EPL fans, the most competetive lagus in Europeare­ probably in Poland, Romania or Bulgaria - competetive­ does not mean good. I wonder how Fulham, Sunderland,­ Wigan, Everton, Wolves, Stoke, WBA, Newcastle etc would­ get in La Liga?

    From anthonyhorne17, on Mon 13 Dec 12:24
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