All Bar�a�s football

Match

Marcador del partit

Date: Sunday, 29 Aug
Competition: ???label.competicio0???
Stadium: El Sardinero, Santander

Resultat:

Racing: 0
FC Barcelona: 3

Match report

Match Report
Pre-Match

Match Report

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Goals

0-1 Messi (min 3)
0-2 Iniesta (min 32)
0-3 Villa (min 63)

Bar�a start in style (0-3)

Jordi Clos

Lionel Messi, Andr�s Iniesta and David Villa all scored as FC Barcelona made a stunning start to their quest for a hat-trick of league titles with a triumph over Racing Santander on Sunday evening.

The Blaugrana dominated possession throughout in front of an expectant crowd in El Sardinero and the three players who started up front for the visitors all scored and had many more chances to make the victory even more emphatic. V�ctor Vald�s also shone as he saved a penalty and made other fine saves to show why he won the Zamora Trophy last time out.

Messi celebrates

Bar�a began the game with six members of Spain's World Cup winning squad on the field after Carles Puyol was withdrawn late on as a precaution. That quality proved to be too much for Racing Club, although they did put a keen fight. Messi scored 34 league goals to equal Ronaldo's club record last season and took just three minutes to find his first this term. The Argentinian broke into the area down the right and edged past Henrique, who has renewed his loan spell at Racing from Bar�a, before superbly clipping the ball over the approaching keeper.

Iniesta scores

Just before the second goal arrived Messi could have doubled his tally as he took on Gonzalo Colsa and Marc Torrej�n and looked set to roll the ball home only for Francis to take it off his toe. Two minutes later and Iniesta did increase Bar�a's advantage as he showed incredible technique when meeting To�o's punch out of the area on the volley. The Blaugrana star met the ball first time and guided it back over the stranded keeper and into the net and the goal saw everyone on the bench, bar Guardiola, rise to applaud the strike.

Vald�s saves

Moments after going two ahead Bar�a could have seen their lead halved when the referee felt that Maxwell had nudged Francis over and generously gave the hosts a penalty. Vald�s stood strong before diving to his right to palm away Tchit�'s effort from 12 yards out. That stop gave the away side even more of a lift and before the break Messi could have yet another only to see his effort fly just off target.

Villa nets

After the break FC Barcelona kept hold off the ball for long periods as they made Racing chase the play as they showed that their enjoyment of playing in confined space and creating chances from nothing has not dropped at all despite winning their second league title last season.

Villa was keen to net his first goal for the club after joining from Valencia before the World Cup Finals and after putting in a solid display he was rewarded in the 62nd minute for his efforts. Alves' sent over a deep cross from the right and the Asturian maintained his position before guiding the ball back across To�o and into the far corner of the net.

Adri�n drew the best out of Vald�s before the end, but the Bar�a keeper kept a clean sheet and secured their first three points of the season by sending out a message to the rest of the league that they want their third consecutive title.

Preview

Racing away

Pep Guardiola explained in the pre-match press conference that El Sardinero has never been a good place for Bar�a to visit and the record books back up his claim. In 42 visits the home team have won 14 times, 15 games have been drawn and Bar�a have won 13 matches.

Bar�a start drive for title hat-trick

Jordi Clos

FC Barcelona kick off the second consecutive defence of the league title with a trip to the north coast where they meet Racing Santander in El Sardinero on Sunday evening (19.00, R@dio Bar�a).

Pep Guardiola's team start the season in Cantabria and the excitement and expectation is sky high after the team secured their first trophy last weekend when beating Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup. Now the side are faced with a fresh challenge as David Villa, Adriano and all the regular stars aim to become the only other outfit apart from Johan Cruyff's Dream Team to win more than two league titles in a row in Bar�a's history.

Ready for the off

The Blaugrana have shown in pre-season that they have not lost any of their desire nor have they seen a change of style or a drop in their level. After friendly wins in Norway and the Far East the Catalan outfit bounced back to win the Spanish Super Cup before having their last pre-season test in midweek against AC Milan in the Trofeo Gamper.

Debut days

Bar�a have travelled to Santander with 18 players after leaving Zlatan Ibrahimovic , Aliaksandr Hleb and Mart�n C�ceres out. Villa and Adriano have both already played in their new club's colours, but this encounter could mark their league debuts. Samuel Eto’o, Deco, Ludovic Giuly, Henrik Larsson, Thierry Henry and Yaya Tour� all made their first appearances for the team in El Sardinero as Bar�a have met Racing six times on the opening day away from home and four times in the past 12 seasons.

All change

For the hosts it has been another summer of change as coach Miguel �ngel Portugal looked to improve on last term's finish of 16th place. The club's rising starlet Sergio Canales completed his move to Real Madrid and experienced heads such as Jos� Morat�n, Toni Moral and Luis Garc�a all left. While Bar�a's Henrique saw his loan deal renewed, the club signed six new faces, including former Championship Manager favourite Kennedy Bakircogl� from Ajax, Adr�an Gonz�lez from Getafe and Cisma.