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Barcelona beat Real Betis
Defending Spanish champions FC Barcelona crushed Seville team Real Betis 4-1 on Saturday for their second win of the season.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: February 25, 2007 09:49 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
Seville:
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard rested Ronaldinho and Deco ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game with Udinese. But Ronaldinho's replacement, Sweden's Henrik Larsson, won an early penalty - only for Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o to spurned the chance by shooting wide. Deco's substitute, Dutch midfielder van Bommel, opened the scoring in the 20th minute when he headed home a floated free kick by midfielder Xavi Hernandez. And just when Betis needed him the most Ricardo Oliveira was sent off for hot-headed sarcasm - 'applauding' the referee after being awarded a yellow card. It has been had clear to all that behaviour will warrant a second yellow card - and hence ejection from the pitch. And Betis soon paid a hefty price for his disrespectful gag. Their keeper Doblas made some stunning saves - here blocking Eto'o's shot. On the other end of the field Victor Valdes was also showing some form - here blocking Assuncao's shot. Amazingly it was Betis scored next - eight minutes before the break, Marcos Assuncao's freekick floated into the box to Spain defender Juanito Gutierrez who sent a downward header past Victor Valdes. Then after the break the floodgates opened. An unmarked Eto'o restored Barcelona's lead in the 58th with a fierce rising shot from the left of the area after receiving the ball from substitute Andres Iniesta. In the 77th minute, Eto'o grabbed his fifth goal of the season, making him La Liga's joint-leading scorer, when he raced on to steer home Ezquerro's headed pass. Santiago Ezquerro blasted Barcelona's fourth goal in the 89th. Barcelona now lie in fifth place on eight points, three behind Getafe on 11who won 1-0 against Atletico Madrid. (AP)Topics mentioned in this article
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