Lionel Messi and hat-trick hero Luis
Suarez were in sensational form as they helped Barcelona start their
title defence with a crushing 6-2 win over Real Betis at the Camp Nou on
Saturday.
Messi scored twice and set up another
goal, dominating proceedings, while Suarez added three of his own after
Arda Turan’s opener.
Ruben Castro struck a brace for Betis
but at no stage of the game did it seem like the visitors had enough to
prevent Luis Enrique’s team from running amok on the opening day of the
new Spanish season.
New signings Samuel Umtiti and Denis
Suarez started for Barcelona, standing in for Javier Mascherano and
Andres Iniesta respectively, as Barcelona battled with a long list of
absences.
Regardless, it took just five minutes
for the hosts to open the scoring, with Turan putting the finishing
touch on a fine move. Messi scooped the ball diagonally into the area,
finding the marauding Jordi Alba, who cut it back for Turan to prod
home.
Along with his two strikes against
Sevilla that sealed Barcelona’s Spanish Super Cup win last week, the
goal meant he has already scored more this season than he did in his
disappointing debut campaign with Barcelona.
While Turan is starting to come to life
in a Barca shirt, goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is set to end his time at the
Camp Nou, with a move to Manchester City reported to be close.
Barcelona fans chanted for him to stay
as he prepared to defend Ruben Castro’s free-kick, but the Chilean
goalkeeper got nowhere near it as the ball flew into the top-right
corner.
The hosts reacted instantly. Turan had a
half-chance to restore Barcelona’s lead but couldn’t direct Sergi
Roberto’s raking low cross on target, before Denis Suarez had a strike
deflected over and Messi cracked a strike against the crossbar.
Eventually Messi put them back ahead
with a thunderbolt from outside the box. As he shaped to shoot everybody
in the stadium knew what was coming, but there was still nothing
goalkeeper Antonio Adan could do to stop it as the Argentine lashed
home.
Shortly before the break Luis Suarez got
on the scoresheet too, when he expertly drilled home Sergi Roberto’s
cutback, putting the game beyond Gus Poyet’s Betis, who couldn’t have
asked for a tougher opening fixture.
Barcelona continued to pile on the
pressure in the second period, with Messi twice foiled by Adan, while
Denis Suarez had a strike saved too and the assistant referee’s flag
stopped Turan from adding to his tally after he bundled home from close
range.
Then came two goals in quick succession,
Messi setting up Luis Suarez for a tap-in, before driving home his
second and Barcelona’s fifth from outside the area again.
Messi nearly grabbed his hat-trick but
Adan pushed a stinging effort away as Barcelona toyed with Betis at
will, before Luis Suarez whipped home a vicious free-kick for his own
treble and Castro notched a late consolation.
Villarreal go to Granada later before Sevilla host Espanyol, with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in action on Sunday.
Zinedine Zidane’s side are at Real Sociedad and Atletico entertain promoted Alaves.
