Neymar scored his first
Liga goal as Barcelona
brushed Real Sociedad
aside in a 4-1 win on
Tuesday night.
The champions produced a
scintillating display at
Camp Nou to make it six
wins from six games in the
top flight this season, with
the Brazil international
opening the scoring after
just five minutes.
Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets then added goals two
and three before half-time, while Alberto de la Bella
grabbed a second-half consolation for Sociedad before
Marc Bartra completed the scoring for the hosts.
Barca coach Gerardo Martino continued his squad rotation
policy with four changes from the side that won 4-0 at
Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
Dani Alves and Busquets replaced Martin Montoya and Alex
Song, while the goalscorers from the victory at the Estadio
de Vallecas - Cesc Fabregas and Pedro, who grabbed a
hat-trick - were left out in favour of Andres Iniesta and
Alexis Sanchez.
Sociedad boss Jagoba Arrasate, meanwhile, made seven
alterations to the team that drew 0-0 at home with Malaga.
Only goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, Inigo Martinez, Bergara and
captain Xabi Prieto retained their places, with Antoine
Griezmann, and Haris Seferovic among those to come in to
the starting XI.
Those wholesale changes almost paid dividends
immediately as Seferovic rattled the crossbar from outside
the box after only two minutes following a bright start from
the visitors.
But Barca had won 17 straight home league games before
Tuesday’s fixture, and normal order was resumed just three
minutes later when Neymar bundled home.
Sanchez embarked on a strong run down the right, before
sending in a low deflected cross that deceived Bravo and
gave the 21-year-old the simplest of tasks of tapping in
from three yards.
And it did not take long for Barca to double their advantage
as Messi found the net with a diving header on eight
minutes.
A typically free-flowing move led to Neymar standing up a
perfect cross from the left that found Messi unmarked at the
back post and the Argentinian made no mistake by nodding
home his seventh league goal of the campaign.
Things then went from bad to worse for Arrasate when
skipper Prieto was forced off with a thigh injury, and
Busquets compounded his misery in the 23rd minute.
Messi somehow contrived to hit the crossbar from two
yards after Alves' low delivery from the right, but Busquets
was on hand to collect the loose ball 20 yards out after a
poor clearance and rifle home a fine half-volley.
The champions continued to dominate thereafter and
produced some mesmerising interplay in the final third,
with the only negative of the half for Martino coming when
Javier Mascherano was forced off after failing to shake off
a knock from an early collision with Busquets.
Barca picked up where they had left off after the interval
and created four clear goalscoring opportunities within the
first 15 minutes of the second half, with Messi missing
twice and Neymar and Sanchez following suit soon after.
However, Sociedad got themselves back into the game just
after the hour through De La Bella.
Substitute Imanol Agirretxe took advantage of some lax
defending from Gerard Pique before firing across the six-
yard box for the full-back to convert from close range.
But Martino’s side restored their three-goal cushion on 76
minutes when substitute Bartra got in on the act by
finishing from two yards after a dazzling dribble from Messi
in the penalty area.
Barca then took their foot off the pedal, although Sanchez
nearly added further gloss to the scoreline as he hit the
post with a header in injury time.
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