Barca sparkle with 3-0 Super Cup win over Betis
League champions Barcelona made a sparkling start to the new season with a classy 3-0 win away to King's Cup winners Real Betis in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Saturday.
Superbly crafted second half strikes from French winger Ludovic Giuly and last season's leading scorer Samuel Eto'o as well as a stunning free kick from World Player of the Year Ronaldinho set the Catalans well on the way to their first trophy of the season.
"It was a very important victory for us," said Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard. "But it is only one game and we can't take too may conclusions from this and must keep working very hard."
The Dutchman's side signalled their attacking intentions from the first whistle, with midfielder Xavi firing a long-distance effort a metre wide of the post with less than a minute on the clock.
Barca laid siege to the Betis area for the next quarter of an hour with Ronaldinho and the lively Giuly involved in some intricate moves as they tried to pick the opposition defence.
Joaquin responded for Betis after 20 minutes when he danced his way past four Barca players and send a delicate dink just past the post with keeper Victor Valdes beaten.
The league champions almost took the lead 10 minutes from the break after a stunning one-touch passing move, but Betis keeper Toni Doblas tipped over a stinging shot from Xavi.
On the stroke of halftime Xavi had another chance to put his side ahead but this time he drilled a fierce shot against the base of the post after Ronaldinho had cut open the Betis defence.
The visitors finally broke the deadlock two minutes after the break thanks to a magnificent disguised pass from Ronaldinho and an ice-cool finish from Giuly.
The Brazilian looked one way and then slipped the ball the other as Giuly scorched past the Betis back four, steadied himself and then slotted a low shot through Doblas's legs.
Betis, who beat AS Monaco 1-0 in midweek in the first leg of a Champions League qualifier, were denied an equaliser when Valdes produced a superb reflex save low to his right to stop a powerful header from Betis striker Ricardo Oliveira.
But Barca extended their lead soon after when Eto'o shimmied past Doblas and slotted into the open net after the outstanding Xavi slid a pass with the outside of his foot.
Ronaldinho added the icing on the cake just after the hour when he curled a sharply dipping free kick over the wall and into the net past a bemused Doblas.
Barcelona, who lost on the last two occasions they appeared in the Super Cup, will be hot favourites when they meet the Andalucians in the return leg at the Nou Camp next Saturday.