La Liga - Barca six clear as Real lose
Eurosport - Sun, 30 Nov 07:43:00 2008
Barcelona went six points clear at the top of La Liga with a stunning 3-0 win away to Sevilla, while Getafe beat Real Madrid 3-1 at their Coliseum Alfonso Perez home.
Samuel Eto'o and a lovely Lionel Messi brace saw Barca take the points at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
The Catalan giants started the brighter of the two with Thierry Henry, Seydou Keita and Messi all having attempts on goal. However, the breakthrough came in the 20th minute as the ball broke rather fortuitously to Eto'o and the Cameroonian ruthlessly finished from 12 yards.
Following the goal, Sevilla battled back and should have been level at half-time. They were unhappy not to be given a penalty in the 33rd minute when Fredi Kanoute got in front of Gerard Pique and the Spaniard leant into the back of him as he strode towards goal.
Kanoute had no-one to blame but himself 10 minutes later though as a dinked free-kick found him with time in front of goal, but he could only hit the bar from eight yards.
As Sevilla pressed forward, Barcelona profited and the mercurial Messi's influence on the game grew. First, he dribbled past three and stung Palop's hands then he laid one on for Henry, whose shot was also saved.
The next time he attacked he ran on to Xavi's header after 78 minutes and thumped a left-footed volley home from over 20 yards out to seal the points.
It was a sensational finish that gave them a cushion from which Sevilla never looked like coming back.
Their fate was confirmed in the 86th minute when Luis Fabiano took out his frustrations on Sergio Busquets with an ugly elbow. The assistant referee spotted it and the referee had no choice but to send him off.
To make matters worse, Messi then raced on to Alexander Hleb's through ball, rounded Palop and slotted in from a tight angle to make it 3-0 in the second minute of added time.
Getafe 3-1 Real Madrid
Second-placed Real lost ground after Getafe striker Juan Angel Albin hit a brace and substitute Uche also got on to the scoresheet to see the home side triumph despite a sublime finish from Javier Saviola.
Albin's opener was a third-minute bullet header from a Jaime Gavilan cross.
The second arrived soon into the second half, Fernando Gago not dealing with a ball through to allow Albin to race into the box and fire inside the near post of a bewildered Iker Casillas.
Javier Saviola scored with a predatory finish into the top corner - following good work by Guti - on a rare start for the former Argentina star, but Getafe's attacks down both sides put Real under long spells of pressure.
They had a third when Albin raced through on the right and opted to square to Uche when he could have looked for his hat-trick; the Nigerian finished inside the near post to set the home fans celebrating.
Real looked uncomfortable in defence as former Bernabeu striker Roberto Soldado caused them problems, while Esteban Granero and Jaime Gavilan were a constant threat.
Soldado should have had a penalty when Real centre-half Sergio Ramos brought him down before handball claims against Ramos and substitute Michel Salgado were both waved away by referee Perez Burrull.
Raul had a chance in the first half that Pato saved well, but the weak shot was typical of the visiting performance.
"Getafe were much better. They played a spectacular game and the scoreline flatters us," Real coach Bernd Schuster said.
"We have a lot of players injured but we could do nothing. From the first moment I saw it would be difficult for us... and I never had the sensation we would win."
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Comment 5 - 24 of 24
I'm really glad that Barca is playing the way they know how. They are playing like real champions. Kudos to Pep; he may seem like a diciplinarian but that's the only way to handle a team from a club that is "mes que un club".Keep it up. Visca el Barca!!!
Sergio Ramos is definitely overrated and overhyped . He is NOT as good as he is advertized !!
ya! Barca is by far the best ever team.. just loves to watch them enjoy the game and free flow scoring goals..! Barca, mes que un club..! Barca forever!!
I would rate Evra, Puyol, Micah Richards, Alves and Abidal higher than Sergio Ramos, not saying Ramos isn't any good. Just i think these few are much better, only thing Ramos has on them is his ability to score more goals than the average defender. The best player in the world at present would have to be Eto'o, Messi, Xavi. Not being biased. Ronaldo os out of form but showing glimpses of last season from time to time, Torres is injury hit, Gerrard would have been if not for his theatrical and undeserving penalty dive and Ibrahimovic in my opinion is good but not as good as some think.
BARCA FOR LIFE!!!!
couple of questions....???
doe's anyone else think that sergio ramos is 1 of the top 3 defenders in the world right now...???
who is the best player in the world. we all know the usual suspects, ronaldo, messi, kaka,ibrahimavich,torres, gerard, but who else is in contention,who would you put up there.
I've read somewhere that FIFA performs random drug test during World Cup. I don't know if it has always been that way or it's a recent thing. But at every game, a few players that participated in the game are chosen at random for drug test. Since Maradona was tested positive for ephedrine in 1994, he's either really lucky for not being picked for random testing, or he started using it late in his career.
I think Messi is a genuis for football !
Messi is a genuis for football !
Boys you people merit it .The match was won in a Big style I like it that way just continue with the spirit every thing will be al right.
Just for history, Maradonna did take tests when he was playing in Napoli. That was a random procedure and he did take them on few occasion without being caught. So the presumption is that he took them when he moved back to Argentina.
from. new york arriba barca messi golden ball. player of the year
Forca MESSI
Barca are breaking records, and they are flying high above every other team in La Liga,
HAVE U NOTICED??
After 13 games, ....
==
Best Attack, 40goals so far, And Many Many Many More to come.. haha ;)
Best defense, many clean sheets and only 9 goals conceded in 13 games..
Highest goal scorer in Eto'o (14 goals so far) and More to come. :-)
oh.. Not forgetting the Midfield, Barca has the highest Ball possesion, home or away, Commands ball possesion, averaging at 60% possesion.
Errrm. What else Does barca have that other teams dont have? oh Yeah.. 32 points in 13 games,
In conclusion:::::: YES... BARCELONA FC IS MORE THAN JUST A CLUB..
Yeah..MESSI rules..the best player in this world..FORCA BARCA
Just a note to cityco69... U are a hater.. if u aint got nothing constructive to say, then u might as well shut up... Gives me only 1 conclusion.. U are a Real Madrid supporter, so u are hating on Barca.. U make me Laugh, BARCA RULES! Yay
Messi is the greatest player in the world, much better than ronaldo, for starters they are similar however messi does not not dive and offers more to the team than ronaldo ever could provide!!!!!
I think Messi is a genuis for football.
Messi is one of the most popular players !
Why Uche alwayz be on the bench?This guy is more than good!!!
you all stupid dumbnut...last month barcelona players is being checked for urine test for drugs..they all free...messi is not drug addicted like maradona..maybe kun aguero is...or c.ronaldo...that will explain why c.ronaldo is dumbnut just like cityco69..
DICHOSO BARCELONA!!!!
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