Barcelona discovered a technique to win late and assure a housewarming celebration at its short-term new house for the season on Sunday.
With late targets from Pedri and Ferran Torres, Barcelona beat Cadiz 2-0 within the first official match on the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Montjuic, the place the crew will play whereas the Camp Nou undergoes an intensive makeover.
Pedri opened the scoring within the 82nd minute and Torres scored in stoppage time.
Barcelona secured its first win of the season regardless of the absence of coach Xavi and ahead Raphinha due to purple playing cards within the 0-0 opening draw at Getafe final weekend. Xavi was handed a two-game suspension for excessively complaining to the referee and Raphinha was despatched off for elbowing an opponent.
ALSO READ | Spain’s World Cup winner Olga Carmona learns after remaining of father’s dying
Xavi watched from the stands on the Olympic stadium and stated he was proud of the crew’s new house.
“I really liked how the fans supported the team the whole time. This is very positive for the club,” he stated. “The crowd responded nicely. It was a good start and they will keep supporting us even more.”
Barcelona, the defending champions, struggled in assault till Pedri discovered the online with a left-footed contact following a pleasant give-and-go play with midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, the crew’s fundamental signing this season. Torres sealed the victory with a purpose from inside the world after a late breakaway. Robert Lewandowski had a purpose disallowed for offside.
The win got here earlier than a crowd of 39,603 individuals on the Lluis Companys, which was the principle stadium for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and might maintain 49,000 individuals — in comparison with the 99,000-capacity Camp Nou, Europe’s largest soccer stadium. The Camp Nou is present process a long-delayed overhaul to enhance its services and add much more seats.
“It was good to come to our new stadium,” Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen stated. “This win will make things easier for us going forward.”
Cadiz, which barely averted relegation final season, opened with a 1-0 win over Alaves final weekend.
ATLETICO MADRID HELD
Atletico Madrid was held to a 0-0 draw at Real Betis in a match with few vital scoring alternatives within the warmth of Seville.
Betis appeared the extra harmful crew however was not in a position to break the impasse on the Benito Villamarín Stadium.
ALSO READ: Explained: What is the controversy round Jorge Vilda and FIFA Women’s World Cup finalist, Spain?
“We were better in the first half but in the second it became harder because of the heat,” Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini stated. “But you can never say that a draw against Atletico is a bad result.”
Both groups have been attempting to win their second consecutive match to start out the season.
“We didn’t create a lot of danger in the first half but could have done better in front of the goal after halftime,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone stated.
Betis has received solely one in all its final 22 league matches towards Atletico since Simeone’s arrival.
Also Sunday, Getafe remained winless after shedding 3-0 at Girona, which had two targets from Uruguay striker Cristhian Stuani within the second half after one from Venezuelan midfielder Yangel Herrera within the first.
Madrid received 3-1 at Almería on Saturday for its second consecutive win. It leads the league alongside Valencia, which beat Las Palmas 1-0 on Friday.
