Joao Cancelo celebrates scoring Barcelona’s fifth objective in opposition to Actual Betis in LaLiga. AP
New arrivals Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo struck their first objectives for Barcelona in a powerful 5-0 rout of Actual Betis on Saturday in LaLiga.
Earlier Atletico Madrid have been hammered 3-0 by Valencia at Mestalla with coach Diego Simeone labelling it the “weakest” efficiency throughout his time on the membership.
Barcelona’s five-star show was impressed by Felix, who netted the opener, with additional objectives from Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Raphinha and Cancelo.
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The emphatic victory locations the Catalans provisionally prime of the desk, some extent away from rivals Actual Madrid who host Actual Sociedad on Sunday.
Barcelona performed with a vibrancy they lacked at occasions final season, whilst they lifted La Liga, warming up for his or her Champions League opener on Tuesday in opposition to Royal Antwerp.
Xavi handed Felix and compatriot Cancelo their first begins for the membership and so they rapidly impressed house followers and their coach.
“We’re talking about two players there are absolutely no doubts about in terms of individual quality,” Xavi instructed reporters.
“The two bring something different that improves the team. Individual quality is what makes the difference.”
Betis, lining up with a again 4 composed solely of former Barcelona gamers, performed with attacking intent, not like many different groups who will go to the non permanent Olympic Stadium house of the Spanish champions.
Nevertheless Barcelona moved forward after 25 minutes when Oriol Romeu fed Felix.
The on-loan Atletico ahead managed the ball, knocked it previous goalkeeper Rui Silva after which squeezed house clinically from a good angle.
“I’m very happy to be starting again, the feelings are very good — it’s easy to play in this team,” Felix instructed Movistar.
Felix, signed by Atletico Madrid for a membership file payment of 126 million euros ($134 million) in 2019, failed to search out constant kind within the capital and was loaned to Chelsea final season.
“I am happy, the change has done me good, me and my family, I am very happy here,” he added.
Lewandowski doubled Barcelona’s lead when he ran onto Andreas Christensen’s move and slotted house, however the objective was crafted by Felix, whose intelligent dummy allowed the ball to search out the Polish striker.
The ‘shark’ bites
Torres, chosen forward of stripling starlet Lamine Yamal, netted the third, with a low free-kick across the wall — the primary Barcelona have scored since a Lionel Messi strike in Might 2021.
The winger, who has nicknamed himself a “shark” because the summer time after engaged on psychological points of the sport and discovering his finest degree of health, celebrated effusively.
“I didn’t know we hadn’t scored a free-kick since Messi,” stated Torres.
“I have a lot of confidence, I am working on it and I’ll keep doing that.”
Raphinha, who changed Torres, rapidly added the fourth simply moments after getting into the fray with a drilled effort from exterior the world into the underside nook.
Cancelo gleefully added the fifth to cap a superb particular person show, skinning former Barcelona left-back Juan Miranda and driving house throughout objective.
Whether or not new-look Barcelona can match Europe’s finest stays to be seen however this rampant show highlighted the improved attacking high quality at their disposal this season.
‘Weakest game’
Atletico coach Simeone stated his group put of their “weakest” efficiency of his 12-year reign of their three-goal thrashing by Valencia.
Hugo Duro netted a brace for the hosts and Javi Guerra tucked house the third as they dominated.
Los Che have began the season properly after flirting with relegation till the ultimate day of the earlier marketing campaign, and this was their most interesting outing but below coach Ruben Baraja.
“We had the weakest game since I arrived at the club, and we have to congratulate our opponents,” stated Simeone.
Defeat was the worst method for Atletico to organize for the beginning of their Champions League marketing campaign on Tuesday at Lazio.
“They came into the game with a lot more intensity and if you don’t match it … it’s impossible to win any game,” stated Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
“We have to look in the mirror. We know we can give a lot more than we gave today.”
Earlier Athletic Bilbao earned a convincing 3-0 win over Cadiz to maneuver provisionally third.
Mallorca earned a late 1-0 win over Celta Vigo via Vedat Muriqi’s objective.