Fabregas challenges Barca to thrive without Messi

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Cesc Fabregas has challenged his Barcelona team-mates to prove they can thrive without Lionel Messi when they face Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Argentina forward Messi injured his thigh in the 2-0 win over Almeria on Saturday and will miss the Group H clash against the Scottish champions as a result.

Former Arsenal midfielder Fabregas acknowledged losing the player widely recognised as the best in the world was a significant blow, but he is adamant a club of Barca's stature should be able to cope with his absence.

"It is a test because we always want him in our team," Fabregas said on Monday. "Obviously Lionel is the best player in the world, I don't even have to say that, and you obviously will miss a player of his talent and dedication.

"We rely on him a lot. He is the best player, the one that scores more goals, the one that does the attacking tasks. He is always there for us, he gives assists, he is the best.

"He can win a game at any moment so we are sad for that but you cannot feel sorry for yourselves because you are missing a great player.

"Without Messi we will have to take more responsibility. I think we all have to step up and make sure that we don't feel his absence, and show we can play great football without him.

"When he is not there we have to adapt the situation and players like Neymar, myself if I play, Alexis Sanchez, Cristian Tello, Pedro Rodriguez; we have to step up and do the job that a striker is made for which is scoring goals and giving assists."

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino also insisted the absence of Messi will not be used as an excuse should his side lose in Glasgow.

"Messi is the best player in the world but we have a great team and his absence cannot be an excuse if we don't get a good result tomorrow night," Martino said.

And Fabregas believes 21-year-old Brazilian striker Neymar could be the one Barcelona player capable of one day reaching the levels of Messi.

"He is a very talented player, very quick and has the skills to get away from you easily," the Spain international said.

"He is already a star but this boy will have a lot to say in the future of football.

"It is up to him. Everything is in his hands.

"He came here to learn, to compete, to fight, to grow up as a player and a person.

"He is still a boy and in the future we will be talking about him as one of the greatest."

Barca to honour Vilanova with Clasico mosaic

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Barcelona will pay tribute to their former coach Tito Vilanova ahead of Saturday's clash with Real Madrid with 98,000 fans to take part in a stadium mosaic bearing his name.

The mosaic that will be displayed in both Barcelona's red and blue colours, as well as the yellow and red of the Catalan flag, will spell out "For?§a Tito" the Catalan for "strength Tito."

Vilanova was forced to resign from his post as coach in July to continue his treatment for throat cancer.

"Once the Barcelona and Real Madrid players take to the field at 18.00 on Saturday, the Camp Nou public will form a mosaic which will read 'For?§a Tito', a message of support for the former coach of the club who had to leave his post with the first team in July 2013 to continue treatment for the illness that was detected nearly two years ago," said a statement on the Barcelona website.

Vilanova was only in charge of the first team for one season, but guided Barca to a record-equalling points tally of 100 as they cruised to a 22nd Spanish title in May.

The 45-year-old missed a significant period of the campaign, however, as he had to travel to New York for chemotherapy after suffering a relapse of the cancer in December last year.

Vilanova also played a significant role as assistant manager in Barca's glorious four-year spell under Pep Guardiola, in which they won 14 trophies, including two Champions League titles.

Barca in crisis too jokes Martino

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Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino has responded to criticism of his side's style of play by joking they are in crisis ahead of their Champions League clash with AC Milan on Wednesday.

The Catalans are unbeaten in 17 games since Martino took charge and lead both La Liga and their Champions League group, two points ahead of Milan.

By contrast, the Italians are in the midst of a fully fledged crisis as they have made their worst start to a Serie A season since 1981-82 with five defeats in 11 games.

However, concerns have still been raised about Martino's intention to get Barca to play in a slightly more direct manner.

And when asked about the Italian's form, Martino took the opportunity to respond to some of the over the top criticism his side have received.

"We too are in crisis. In this way we are alike," he said.

"I don't know what a crisis is. I hear about it, but I don't know what it is. It is always possible to improve and we have a margin to do so."

Barca can seal their place in the last-16 with victory over the struggling seven-time European champions, but despite their current predicament, Martino insisted he would not be taking them lightly.

"I don't trust in historic clubs going through a crisis. If you don't have a good night, these teams can have their way with you.

"It is vital to achieve qualification with two games to play. That would allow us to relax."

One area of real concern for Barcelona has been the form of Lionel Messi as the four-time World Player of the Year has failed to score in his last four La Liga games for the first time in over two years.

However, Barca full-back Dani Alves is sure his teammate will be back amongst the goals in no time.

"Football is made up of phases, he helps the team and that is the most important thing. As for the rest, we will help him so that it comes as soon as possible.

"We don't need to worry, there are always crazy moments throughout the course of a season, it happens to us all. He just needs to keep working, not lose his confidence and the goals will come soon."

Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has much bigger worries with rumours suggesting his job could be on the line should he fail to turn things around against Barca and in this weekend's league trip to Chievo.

However, he believes his side can take encouragement from the way they contained Barca in the 1-1 draw between the sides two weeks ago at the San Siro.

"Tomorrow will be the eighth time we have played against Barca in the last three years. It is a match that brings great difficulties because Barca continue to be the strongest team and we need to concentrate very hard." he said.

"We can leave with a positive result tomorrow but we need to play an excellent game. If we play as well in defence and, particularly in attack, as we did in the first game then we have a chance."

Much-changed Barca still too good for Celta

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Barcelona moved four points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga as they eased to a 3-0 win over Celta Vigo on Tuesday.

Alexis Sanchez continued his fine scoring form after netting the decisive goal in Barca's 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the weekend when he tapped home the opener after just nine minutes.

Celta had their chances to equalise towards the end of the first period, but went two behind at the beginning of the second when Cesc Fabregas' drive rebounded into his own net off goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez and Fabregas added a third with a clinical finish soon after.

"There are games where we have lacked a little punch up front, like against Osasuna when we didn't take advantage of our chances," Fabregas told Canal Plus.

"This time they have gone in. The important thing is to continue creating chances and play well and the goals will arrive."

With Barca in the midst of seven games in 22 days, coach Gerardo Martino made five changes from the side that started the match against Madrid on Saturday.

Javier Mascherano, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar all dropped to the bench, whilst Gerard Pique was left out of the squad due to an ongoing hamstring problem.

And Martino was happy with the control displayed by his side in the second-half after a slightly shaky spell towards half-time.

"I thought we won quite comfortably, we just had one period before half-time where we let Celta get in behind our midfield more easily.

"We started well and our idea to play Cesc closer to Messi to pressure their defence worked.

"In the second-half we managed the game far easier because Cesc made it a margin of three goals in a matter of minutes."

Carles Puyol, Marc Bartra, Alex Song, Pedro and Sanchez returned to the starting line up and it was the Chilean who notched his sixth goal of the season after just nine minutes.

Fabregas was played through on goal by Pedro and after his shot had been beaten away by Yoel, Sanchez had the simple task of tapping home the rebound.

But Celta improved mightily as the half wore on and Barca were again indebted to goalkeeper Victor Valdes for keeping them in front at the break.

On-loan midfielder Rafinha Alcantara was inches away from equalising against his parent club on 28 minutes with a driven effort that flew just wide.

Valdes was then forced to block another fiercely struck effort from Rafinha barely a minute later and Celta were right to complain when they then had a goal ruled out for a very soft foul on the keeper after he flapped at a cross from the right.

However, Barca put the result beyond any doubt just three minutes after the restart when Fabregas' wonderful effort from 25 yards struck the bar and rebounded into the net off the unfortunate Yoel in the Celta goal.

Six minutes later it was 3-0 as Messi again fed Fabregas and this time he made sure it was his name on the scoresheet as he drilled the ball low past Yoel at his near post.

The only negative note of the evening for Barca was a third consecutive league game without a goal for Messi.

However, it wasn't for the want of trying on the Argentine's part as he forced Yoel into a series of fine saves to keep the score down in the final stages.

Puyol back in Barca squad after seven months out

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Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has been cleared to make his return to action against Osasuna on Saturday after a seven-month absence following two knee operations.

The 35-year-old missed the final few months of last season after first going under the knife in March and his comeback was delayed by a second operation to remove a cyst from the same knee in June.

The Spanish international has been back training with his teammates for a number of weeks and his return to the squad is a welcome boost for Gerardo Martino with Barca facing seven games in the next 23 days.

Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano have also been passed fit after overcoming the muscular injuries that kept them out of Argentina's final two World Cup qualifiers last week.

However, Gerard Pique, Alexis Sanchez and Dani Alves have all been left out of Martino's 18-man squad for the trip to Pamplona after playing twice for their national sides in the past week.

Barca, Atletico look to extend La Liga lead

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Barcelona and Atletico Madrid look to extend their club record starts to the season when they host Valladolid and Celta Vigo respectively this weekend.

Both sides have won all seven of their league matches to date and could set a new Spanish record should they make it eight out of eight.

The Catalans have the chance to open up a three-point gap at the top of the table as they play first on Saturday night.

Gerardo "Tata" Martino's men continued their fine start to life under the Argentine by also making it two wins from two in the Champions League in midweek with a hard-fought 1-0 success over 10-man Celtic.

Young defender Marc Bartra particularly impressed in Glasgow as he continues to deputise for the injured Javier Mascherano and he is thankful for the confidence Martino has showed in him.

"Tata has not doubted for a second in putting me into the team. I am satisfied with the confidence he has shown in me," he told a press conference on Thursday.

"Little by little I am feeling more wanted. I have had two years competing with some of the best players in the world in training and learning from them.

"I have keep concentrating and learning."

The champions will have to do without World Player of the Year Lionel Messi as he is sidelined with a thigh injury.

Mascherano and Jordi Alba are also unavailable through injury, but Barca's defence could receive a significant boost with the return of captain Carles Puyol to the squad for Saturday's match.

The 35-year-old hasn't played since undergoing knee surgery in March but has trained with his teammates in recent weeks and could make a return in the week that marked 14 years since his debut.

Real Madrid are also in action on Saturday as they travel to Levante needing to bounce back from last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Atletico which left them five points off the leaders.

Gareth Bale is once again unavailable due to a thigh strain, but Argentine winger Angel di Maria showed he is more than a capable replacement for the Welshman with two goals and a stunning assist in Real's 4-0 win over FC Copenhagen on Wednesday.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti's defensive options have also been swelled by the return of Raphael Varane and Marcelo from injury, but Sergio Ramos will certainly start after being rested in midweek.

Atletico also continued their 100 percent start in the Champions League thanks to a come from behind 2-1 win away to Porto on Tuesday that owed much to Diego Simeone's men's expertise from set-pieces.

Simeone will be able to welcome back top-scorer Diego Costa, who missed the game in midweek due to suspension, whilst Koke will also return having been rested from the start against Porto.

And Koke insists his side won't be taking anything for granted despite the plaudits they have received in recent weeks.

"We take all the compliments calmly and they give me even more confidence and desire to keep working. That confidence I am showing on the pitch," he told the club's website.

"It will be a difficult game against Celta because we are coming form two very demanding games. The group is physically and mentally prepared and we are desperate to go for the three points."

Elsewhere, Valencia will be hoping to extend their four-match winning run when they travel to face Athletic Bilbao in a meeting between Champions League contenders on Sunday night.

However, Athletic will also fancy their chances having won both matches since moving into their new San Mames stadium last month.

Friday Villarreal v Granada (1800GMT), Malaga v Osasuna (2000GMT)

Saturday Elche v Espanyol (1400GMT), Rayo Vallecano v Real Sociedad (1600GMT), Levante v Real Madrid (1800GMT), Barcelona v Valladolid (2000GMT)

Sunday Atletico Madrid v Celta Vigo (1000GMT), Sevilla v Almeria (1500GMT), Getafe v Real Betis (1700GMT), Athletic Bilbao v Valencia (1900GMT)

Magnificent seven for Barca, Madrid leave it late

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Barcelona produced a stunning display to hammer Levante 7-0 at the Camp Nou on Sunday in Gerardo Martino's first competitive match in charge, while Real Madrid left it late to give Carlo Ancelotti a winning start as they beat Real Betis 2-1.

Spanish champions Barca showed no signs of early season rust as they ripped Levante apart with goals from Alexis Sanchez, Lionel Messi (2), Dani Alves, Pedro and Xavi giving them an incredible 6-0 lead at half-time.

There was even more for the home fans to cheer after the break as Neymar made his competitive debut as a substitute and even after Martino had shown the visitors some mercy by withdrawing Messi with 20 minutes remaining, more woeful defending allowed Pedro to round off the scoring with his second of the game.

"I was anxious for the league to start to see where the team were and I have been left very calm," said Martino.

"We put a lot of emphasis on pressing and we managed to sustain it for the majority of the match."

It took Barca barely two minutes to register their first goal of the campaign as Sanchez finished off a fine team move before Messi opened his account for the season with a side-footed finish from close range.

Alves tapped home the third on 23 minutes before further strikes from Pedro, Messi from the penalty spot and Xavi made it six before half-time.

The Catalans weren't quite as clinical after the break, but the moment many inside the crowd had been waiting for arrived on 62 minutes as Neymar made his competitive bow in a Barca shirt in place of the impressive Sanchez.

The Brazilian's only moment of note was when he picked up an unnecessary yellow card, but Barca did manage one more goal before the end as Pedro side-footed home his second of the night.

It was a far more complicated evening for Real however as they needed a headed winner from debutant Isco four minutes from time to take all three points against a spirited Betis.

"I am very happy, above all for the victory," Isco told Canal Plus afterwards.

"It is the first goal that I have scored with my head.

"The truth is that Betis surprised us a bit but it is the first game of the league, we have to improve a lot but we have just started."

Jorge Molina gave the visitors the lead their bright opening deserved on 14 minutes as Cedric Mabwati burst past Sergio Ramos and laid the ball across the area for Molina to slot home.

Slowly but surely Madrid started to find their feet though and they were level midway through the first-half when Karim Benzema swept home from Isco's pass.

Both sides then struck the bar either side of half-time as Nosa headed against the woodwork for Betis before Cristiano Ronaldo came within inches of marking his 200th appearance for Madrid in style as his shot from the edge of the area came back off the bar.

Nosa had another fantastic opportunity to put Betis back in front as he headed over when completely unmarked just 10 yards out 19 minutes from time.

And Betis were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal as with the clock winding down, Isco made a fine late run into the area to meet Marcelo's cross and plant a header high past Stephan Andersen.

Atletico Madrid, who face Barca on Wednesday in the first-leg of the Spanish Super Cup, also began their campaign with a 3-1 victory away to Sevilla thanks to a double from Diego Costa.

The Brazilian -- who signed a three-year extension to his contract last week -- opened the scoring 10 minutes before half-time only for Diego Perotti's wonderful strike from 25 yards to level matters two minutes later.

However, Costa was to have the final word as he strode onto Koke's pass to finish low past Beto in the Sevilla goal 11 minutes from time before Cristian Rodriguez added a third in stoppage time.

And Granada got some early recompense for the money they have invested in the transfer market as goals from Youssef El Arabi and Hassan Yebda handed them a 2-1 win over Osasuna.

Busquets extends Barca deal until 2018

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Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has extended his contract with the club until June 2018 with the option for a further year, the Spanish champions confirmed on Tuesday.

Busquets broke into the first team five years ago during Pep Guardiola's first season in charge and has since gone on to make 238 appearance for the Catalans.

In that time has helped guide Barca to four league titles, two Champions Leagues and two Copa del Rey successes.

The 25-year-old is also now a firmly established member of the Spanish national side with 59 caps and was part of the side that won the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine last year.

Messi included in Barca squad for Levante

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World Player of the Year Lionel Messi has been named in new Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino's squad for the champions' opening La Liga game against Levante on Sunday.

Messi had missed Argentina's friendly victory over Italy on Wednesday due to a quadriceps strain, but returned to training on Friday and Martino confirmed that both he and Cesc Fabregas -- who also missed Spain's victory over Ecuador in midweek due to injury -- will be fit to play.

"Both players have trained almost normally so they shouldn't have any problem in playing," he said at a press conference on Saturday.

Martino also confirmed that he has advised the club not to sign a central defender before the transfer window shuts on September 2.

The Catalans have been linked with Chelsea's David Luiz and Liverpool's Daniel Agger in recent weeks, but Martino is confident that, barring a number of injuries, they have the cover required at the back.

"I know the club was looking for a central defender before I arrived. What I said to them was that (Carles) Puyol is recuperating well, with (Gerard) Pique, (Javier) Mascherano, (Marc) Bartra and even Adriano and (Sergio) Busquets, we are fine.

"If there are any injuries, then we have the winter transfer market."

Despite Puyol's progress after having knee surgery in July though, the 35-year-old is not expected to be back in action before September.

Barca wait on Messi for Super Cup decider

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Barcelona will give Lionel Messi every opportunity to prove his fitness ahead of their second-leg of the Spanish Super Cup against Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night.

Messi was taken off at half-time during last week's 1-1 draw in the first-leg with a thigh injury and missed the Catalans' 1-0 win away to Malaga on Sunday which moved them back to the top of La Liga.

However, the Argentine took a full part in training on Monday with those who hadn't been involved in the Malaga game as the majority of his colleagues underwent a recovery session.

"We have two days to make a decision, but with the information that I have today we are very happy with how he is recovering," Barca boss Gerardo Martino told reporters after Sunday's game.

However, Martino indicated that Neymar could once miss out from the start despite shining in cameo appearances as a substitute in Barca's last two games.

The Brazilian scored his first Barca goal to rescue a draw for Martino's men in the first-leg and again looked like the visitors most dangerous outlet when he replaced Pedro with half an hour to go at La Rosaleda at the weekend.

"Neymar is improving all the time, you can already see the difference in him between the the last two matches and the first one against Levante.

"I don't know when exactly we will start him but you can see mentally he is ready and we will do it at the most opportune time."

Even if Messi and Neymar don't start, Martino will make a couple of changes to the side that started against Malaga as Sergio Busquets and Dani Alves will return after being rested in place of Alex Song and Adriano, who is also struggling with a hamstring injury.

Despite the fact that Barca have set the early pace in La Liga, Atleti's start to the season has been arguably even more impressive as they followed up a 3-1 success at Sevilla on the opening weekend of the season with a 5-0 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano on Sunday to move into second.

Manager Diego Simeone has repeatedly downplayed hs side's chances of competing with Barca and Real Madrid for the title this season, but believes their record of winning three trophies in little over a year shows they have what it takes to go the Camp Nou and lift the club's first Super Cup since 1985.

"The tie is still alive and we now have a big game at their place," he said.

"I still think the league can only be won by two teams, there are so many games it is almost impossible, but we are talking about a tie over two games and we have shown we can compete in finals."

Simeone is expected to name the same side that started in the first-leg with former Barca favourite David Villa and the on-form Diego Costa entrusted with the task of exploiting a Barca defence that has looked far from solid in the opening week of the season despite keeping two clean sheets in three games.

Barca hoping Neymar nourishes Messi's magic

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In contrast to previous seasons, Barcelona played their trump card in the transfer market early this year by securing the services of Brazilian starlet Neymar for 57 million euros ($75.7 million, £49.5 million) back in May.

The 21-year-old had been on the Catalans' radar for some time with Barca having even made a down payment of 10 million euros to Santos for first option on the player a year previously.

However, the confirmation of his transfer was hastened by the feeling that Barca needed to react quickly to having been thrashed 7-0 by Bayern Munich in last season's Champions League semi-finals.

Initial scepticism as to whether Barca really needed another forward option rather than a defender subsided after Neymar's stunning performances as Brazil won the Confederations Cup in June.

One question that remains unanswered though is how Neymar's talents will dovetail with four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi?

As much as the Argentine is often lauded for not being the stereotypical egotistical modern footballer, the success that both player and club have had in recent years has very much depended on building the side around Messi's talents.

The need for Messi to play in a deep-lying central striking role hastened the sale of Samuel Eto'o, resulted in Zlatan Ibrahimovic ending his sole season in Catalonia on the bench and has also limited Cesc Fabregas' chances to play where he has successfully combined with Xavi and Andres Iniesta with Spain.

Those sacrifices though have been worth a return of 271 goals over the past five seasons and concerns over how Messi and Neymar will co-exist appear to have been overblown for a number of reasons.

Firstly, as much as they still need defenders, Barca also desperately needed a scoring option that isn't Messi.

Over the past five seasons in which Messi has starred, Barca have won the Champions League twice and on both occasions Messi was outscored by his striking partners over the course of the season.

In 2008/09 Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry combined for 62 goals to Messi's 38 and in 2010/11 Pedro and David Villa's joint tally of 55 just edged past Messi's 53.

By contrast in the last two seasons, while Messi has rattled in more than 50 goals each time, Barca's second top scorers were Villa with 16 and Cesc Fabregas' 15 in 2011/12.

Moreover, unlike Ibrahimovic or Fabregas, Neymar is naturally much more compatible with Messi as he likes to start on the left of a front three and cut inside towards goal.

With Villa's departure to Atletico Madrid last month, that position is now vacant in the Barca side and Neymar's movement should also help drag defenders away from focusing their attention solely on Messi.

Most importantly of all though, is that Neymar seems to be accepting his rung in the Barca hierarchy.

After being hammered 4-0 by Barca in the Club World Cup final just under two years ago, Neymar admitted he and his Santos teammates "had been given a football lesson" and that he "aspired to get to Messi's level."

Fast-forward to 2013 and Neymar insisted at his official unveiling as a Barca player that he had come to Barca to "help Messi continue being the best in the world."

Asked about his first impressions of Neymar this week, Xavi told Catalan sports daily Sport that "the important thing is that he is humble, he will fit perfectly into the Barca philosophy."

Should the South American duo hit it off, that philosophy will, more than ever, be based on winning with an exciting brand of attacking football.

Barca claim Super Cup on away goals after stalemate

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Barcelona lifted the first silverware of the Spanish season on away goals after a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid in the second-leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday night.

Following the 1-1 draw in the first-leg, the Catalans were left to thank goalkeeper Victor Valdes for preserving their advantage as he pulled off incredible saves from Arda Turan and David Villa either side of half-time.

Barca should have then sealed victory on the night themselves as after Filipe Luis was sent off for Atleti, Lionel Messi fired a late penalty off the bar.

"Victor has always had this characteristic which makes a goalkeeper for a big team," Barca boss Gerardo Martino told a press conference afterwards.

"They had two shots on goal and he made the saves."

Martino had handed a first start to Neymar as the Brazilian and Lionel Messi lined up for the first time in a competitive match since the former's switch from Santos.

And he admitted that the South American duo have plenty to work on as a partnership.

"Separately they have played quite well. It is true that they didn't combine a lot and they didn't find each other.

"Neymar was a bit closed off on the wing and when Leo came deep he drifted to the other side. Sometimes they were too far apart to combine but they will manage to do so with time."

Having weathered an early Barca early storm though, Atleti started to gain a foothold and had the two best openings of the opening period.

Firstly Koke failed to connect properly when he was teed up at the edge of the box allowing Valdes to save easily before the Barca keeper made a stunning save to turn behind Arda's sweetly struck volley.

Valdes was called upon again after the break as he parried Villa's curling effort from the edge of the area as Atleti went in search of the away goal they needed to stay alive in the tie.

And Atleti boss Diego Simeone was left to rue his side's wasted opportunities.

"The match was how I imagined it on both sides," he said.

"They played as they have for many years and we continue to grow, with pride and knowing we can play.

"We had more chances but we couldn't take them."

The more the visitors pushed forward though, the more they were susceptible to the Barca counter-attack and the Catalans passed up a host of opportunities to put the tie to bed.

Neymar was the biggest culprit as he squared when he ought to have gone for goal himself at the back post from Dani Alves' cross midway through the second-half.

Atleti were then reduced to 10 men when Luis saw a straight red card after he clashed with Alves off the ball on 80 minutes.

And Simeone's men were further infuriated by referee David Fernandez Borbalan when he adjudged that Pedro had been felled by a combination of Juanfran and Miranda two minutes from time.

Messi smashed the resultant spot-kick off the bar to ensure the game finished goalless.

However, it mattered little as the hosts comfortably saw out the final few minutes to claim their fourth Super Cup in the past five years.

Messi-less Barca still too much for Malaga

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Adriano scored the only goal as a Barcelona side without the injured Lionel Messi laboured to a 1-0 victory over Malaga.

The Brazilian struck the decisive blow a minute before half-time with a left-footed effort that Malaga goalkeeper Willy Caballero will have been disappointed to see slip through his grasp.

However, Malaga were left to rue two huge chances after the break as firstly Fabrice struck the post and then Sebastian Fernandez headed straight at Victor Valdes when completely unmarked inside the area in the closing stages.

And Cesc Fabregas admitted that going forward the Catalans will need to improve on their performance in the second period.

"The first-half was very good and we could have scored more," he told Canal Plus.

"In the second it is true that we lost a bit of our intensity due to tiredness from the game on Wednesday.

"In the last five minutes we struggled but sometimes you have to do that. It was a hard-fought and important victory."

Despite Messi's absence, Barca boss Gerardo Martino once again started with Neymar on the bench as Fabregas replaced the Argentine, whilst Alex Song and Adriano replaced Sergio Busquets and Dani Alves from the side that started Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the first-leg of the Spanish Super Cup.

Without either of their South American attacking stars, Barca's build-up play was somewhat ponderous in the first period as they failed to break down a solid but limited Malaga side.

Andres Iniesta then fired an effort from the edge of the area straight down Caballero's throat, but the Argentine was forced into a stunning save nine minutes before the break as he blocked Alexis Sanchez's header from point-blank range.

However, Caballero was slightly at fault when Barca did eventually take the lead as Adriano cut inside onto his left foot and his curling effort flew over the Malaga keeper's outstretched arm on its way into the far corner.

Gerard Pique nearly added a fortunate second after the break as Xavi's free-kick rebounded off the defender's back and looped off the crossbar before Martino finally introduced Neymar just after the hour mark.

Malaga then passed up a huge opportunity to level with their first clear opening of the match as Roque Santa Cruz rounded Valdes and from a tight angle cut the ball back for Fabrice, but the young Cameroonian could only pull his effort off the base of the post.

Neymar nearly made it two goals in as many games with a well-struck free-kick that Caballero did well to parry to safety.

And Malaga passed up another great chance in the final minute as Jesus Gamez's cross found Fernandez completely unmarked, only for the Uruguayan to head straight at Valdes, while the Barca keeper comfortably held Fernando Tissone's follow-up.

Barca's win took them to the top the table by a single goal ahead of Atletico Madrid after Diego Simeone's men continued their 100 percent record in the league with a 5-0 mauling of Rayo Vallecano at the Vicente Calderon.

Raul Garcia, Diego Costa and Arda Turan had the hosts 3-0 up after just 34 minutes and further goals from Tiago and Garcia after the break rounded off a perfect afternoon for Atleti ahead of the second-leg of the Super Cup at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, Sevilla's faltering start to their league campaign continued as they could only manage a 0-0 draw away to Levante.

And it was an even worse night for the other half of Seville as Real Betis lost 2-1 at home to Celta Vigo.

Man United target Fabregas not ready to give up on Barca dream

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AppId is over the quota

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas slammed the door Thursday on a potential move to Manchester United, insisting the Catalan giants remain his dream club.

The English Premier League champions have so far failed with two bids for Fabregas, who has emerged as their main summer transfer target as new manager David Moyes seeks to inject creativity into his midfield.

The Spanish international told a press conference in Malaysia that "since I was a kid my dream was to play for Barcelona".

"This dream hasn't changed," he said ahead of Saturday's friendly against the Malaysian national side.

His comments echo those of teammate Gerard Pique and Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, who both insisted earlier this week the 26-year-old will stay at the Nou Camp.

Fabregas has failed to nail down a spot in Barca's star-studded midfield, with international teammates Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets ahead of him in the pecking order.

But Barca are reluctant to sell the pint-sized playmaker, especially since the loss of Thiago Alcantara to Bayern Munich.

Barca enticed Fabregas back from Arsenal with a long-term view to him replacing the 33-year-old Xavi, who is expected to play fewer games in the coming season.

Barcelona return to Asia three years after their last visit to the football-mad continent -- home to a massive fan base and potential revenue.

The tour is a final chance for new manager Gerardo Martino to assess his players in official friendly action before the start of the La Liga season on August 18.

Fabregas also said he was ready to show Martino that he can be a key player for arguably the world's most successful side in recent years.

"I need to work hard and do what he asks of me and I'm ready for the challenge," he said.

The Barcelona team demolished Thailand 7-1 on the first leg of their whistlestop Asian tour on Wednesday.

Martino bringing back Barca intensity - Xavi

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AppId is over the quota

Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez believes his side will rekindle their intensity and pressing under the tutelage of new manager Gerardo 'Tata' Martino.

The Argentine was appointed less than four weeks before Barca kick off the defence of their league title against Levante on Sunday, after Tito Vilanova had to resign due to on-going health problems.

However, Xavi believes the squad are adjusting well to Martino's methods and has backed the new coach to be a success despite his lack of managerial experience in Europe.

"He is a leader, capable, prepared and has experience," the 33-year-old told Barcelona sports daily Sport.

"He is transmitting a lot to us. We are recovering a little of the intensity and rhythm that perhaps we lost for various reasons towards the end of last season. We are pressing very well and working well physically.

"He is adding things that he is influencing a lot. For example, on set-pieces we are working differently. We are adjusting and he is a guy that is very clear about what he wants."

Martino's insistence on pressing high up the field was very evident in his only game at the Camp Nou so far as Barca destroyed Santos 8-0 in a friendly that formed part of the deal to bring Neymar to the Spanish champions.

The Brazilian international will also make his competitive Barcelona debut against Levante, but World Player of the Year Lionel Messi is a doubt as he continues to recover from the quadriceps injury that forced him to miss Argentina's friendly with Italy on Wednesday.

Captain Carles Puyol will definitely be absent for the Catalans after he underwent knee surgery to remove a cyst last month, but Cesc Fabregas and Pedro Rodriguez should be fit to play despite missing Spain's friendly with Ecuador in midweek due to minor injuries.

Real Madrid also get their league campaign underway on Sunday with a new man in charge as Carlo Ancelotti makes his bow at the Santiago Bernabeu where Real Betis are the visitors.

Los Blancos have enjoyed a superb pre-season that encompassed victories over Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Inter Milan and Ancelotti will have a wealth of midfield options to choose from following the capture of Isco and Asier Illarramendi from Malaga and Real Sociedad respectively.

Arguably the most enticing fixture of the opening weekend though comes at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan where a new-look Sevilla side host Atletico Madrid.

Atletico enjoyed a fantastic campaign last season as they finished third and won the Copa del Rey. As a result they will face Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup next week and have Champions League football to look forward to.

However, coach Diego Simeone has insisted it is important that his team maintain the consistency they showed in the league last season, starting on Sunday.

"We need to continue in the same way, looking for the consistency we had last season. Therefore, we can't look beyond the present and that is Sevilla," he told the club's website.

"We need to start again at zero and not get away from going game by game. We have had a good pre-season, especially physically, and we have been competitive."

New signings David Villa and Leo Baptistao are likely to be involved for Atleti as they try to compensate for the loss of Radamel Falcao, who joined Monaco back in June.

However, the transfer activity at Atleti hasn't compared to that at Sevilla and coach Unai Emery could hand debuts to as many as 10 new recruits as the Andalusians have rebuilt following the departures of Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo and Gary Medel.

Opening fixtures

Saturday

Real Sociedad v Getafe (1700 GMT), Valladolid v Athletic Bilbao (1900 GMT), Valencia v Malaga (2100 GMT)

Sunday

Barcelona v Levante (1700 GMT), Real Madrid v Real Betis, Osasuna v Granada (both 1900 GMT), Sevilla v Atletico Madrid (2100 GMT)

Monday

Rayo Vallecano v Elche (1800 GMT), Celta Vigo v Espanyol, Almeria v Villarreal (2000 GMT)

Neymar rescues Barca as injured Messi limps off

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Neymar scored his first goal for Barcelona as the Catalans were held 1-1 by Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, but there was another injury worry for Lionel Messi as he was forced off at half-time.

David Villa had given the hosts the perfect start when he netted against his old side in spectacular fashion after just 12 minutes.

Barca then struggled to find their rhythm against a dogged Atleti side and were dealt a huge blow when Messi failed to reappear for the second-half due to a hamstring injury.

However, in his absence, Neymar was the man to rescue the Spanish champions as he came off the bench to head home Dani Alves' cross 25 minutes from time.

"He had a knock and then a muscle problem so we will do the required examinations to see how serious it is," Barca boss Gerardo Martino said of Messi's injury afterwards.

"It didn't make sense to keep him on the field if he couldn't move comfortably."

Having thrashed Levante 7-0 Martino's first competitive match in charge on Sunday, Barca started confidently and had the first clear opening of the game when Pedro's scuffed effort was palmed away by Thibaut Courtois on 11 minutes.

Within 60 seconds though Atleti were ahead though thanks to a fantastic piece of counter-attacking play as Villa fed Arda Turan on the left then burst into the box to meet the Turk's cross flush on the volley to power the ball past Victor Valdes.

Moments later the Spanish international nearly punished his former teammates again as he and Diego Costa combined perfectly but this time Gerard Pique recovered just in time to block Villa's effort.

The game then settled down with Barca patiently probing without ever opening up a well-organised Atleti side before the break.

And Martino was quick to praise Atletico's energetic first-half performance that restricted the visitors to very few opportunities.

"It was very difficult for us to find space to receive the ball. We couldn't find space between the lines, they were very compact and it was difficult to break through.

"To fix this we need to have more movement and precision. It is not easy, but we were better in the second-half."

Despite losing Messi at half-time, Barca improved after the break as they twice went close through Alexis Sanchez and Messi's replacement Cesc Fabregas.

Neymar was next to be introduced by Martino and it didn't take the Brazilian long to net his first Barca goal as he charged in at the back post to nod home Dani Alves' hanging cross.

Valdes had to be alert to deny Villa restoring Atleti's lead moments later before Xavi fired a free-kick just over for Barca as the game became increasingly stretched.

Courtois was forced to come to Atleti's rescue once more to deny Sanchez with a brave block from point-blank range 16 minutes from time.

However, there was to be no winner on the night, meaning the tie is still very much alive heading to the Camp Nou for the second leg on Wednesday.

Barca without injured Messi, Real wait on Bale

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World Player of the Year Lionel Messi will miss Barcelona's trip to Malaga on Sunday as he continues to recover from a thigh injury as Real Madrid remained poised to welcome Gareth Bale.

Messi was substituted at half-time in Barca's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and Barca boss Gerardo Martino confirmed the 25-year-old had not been included in his squad as a precaution.

"He is developing well," Martino told a press conference on Saturday.

"It is just a precaution. We are optimistic, but it is just three days since the injury occurred and it would be risky to play him, especially so early in the season."

Messi's absence should mean a start for Cesc Fabregas in the false nine role he often occupies for Spain.

However, Martino was tight-lipped on whether or not Neymar would be handed his first start for the club after coming off the bench to net his first Barca goal on Wednesday.

"Just because Messi isn't there doesn't mean Neymar has to take the reins," said the coach.

"Neymar is improving all the time, but we need to take things bit by bit to ensure everything goes well in the end. My intention is that when he plays he is able to show all that he can do."

Real Madrid meanwhile are not in action until Monday night when they travel to face Granada.

However, it is looking increasingly unlikely that they will travel to Andalusia with Bale amongst their ranks as there was still no confirmation of his move from Spurs on Saturday.

Spanish media reported that the 24-year-old had already arrived in Spain and was waiting in Marbella for the world record deal to be completed before flying to Madrid to be presented to the fans and the media in the coming days.

Real will be without Xabi Alonso for up to three months after he broke a bone in his foot earlier this week and minor injuries to Sami Khedira and Asier Illarramendi mean manager Carlo Ancelotti's midfield options are limited.

Meanwhile the Italian also has to decide whether to stick with Diego Lopez in goal or recall club captain Iker Casillas after he was surprisingly benched for Real's 2-1 win over Real Betis last weekend.

In the night's action on the field, Real Sociedad failed to make it three wins in a week as they were held 1-1 by promoted Elche.

The Basques took a huge step towards qualifying for the Champions League group stages for the first time in a decade in midweek as they won 2-0 away to Lyon.

However, they were on the back foot straight away in Alicante as Ferran Coro scored the hosts first goal in the top-flight for 24 years.

Sociedad improved mightily after the break though and were deservedly level 16 minutes from time when Carlos Vela turned home Xabi Prieto's cross.

Espanyol moved alongside Sociedad on four points after two games as they came from behind to beat Valencia 3-1.

Helder Postiga scored his first goal for Valencia against the run of play after just 10 minutes.

However, David Lopez's equaliser ensured Javi Aguirre's men went in level at half-time and second-half goals from Cristian Stuani and Thievy Bifouma rounded off a fine victory for the Catalans.

And Villarreal continued their fantastic start since returning to the top flight as a Giovani Dos Santos penalty and Cani's strike six minutes from time gave them a 2-1 win over Valladolid.

Gap widens as Barca, Real spend and rest sell

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AppId is over the quota

Looking at the Spanish sports pages over the typically baking summer months, it would appear the Spanish game was in rude health both on and off the pitch.

In Catalonia, Neymar has dominated attention after his 57 million euro ($74 million, £48.7 million) move from Santos to Barcelona was confirmed in June, whilst, in the capital, Real Madrid backed up their 69 million euro investment in the young Spanish duo of Isco and Asier Illarramendi with an on-going pursuit of the 100 million euro rated Gareth Bale in a saga that looks set to run well into the final days of the transfer window.

But beneath the big two, the game in Spain has continued to reflect the general ailing Spanish economy with even clubs in the Champions League forced to sell their best players.

As a result, the already colossal gap between Real and Barca and the rest continues to increase as do fears that by continuing to use an unbalanced TV deal that greatly favours the big two, La Liga descends further into a turgid two-horse race.

However, whilst both Barca and Real have been active in the transfer market, there are concerns that both have so far failed to bring in the type of players they really needed after falling at the semi-final stage of the Champions League last season.

Neymar's arrival should certainly ease the scoring burden that Lionel Messi has carried almost single-handedly for the past two seasons, but the Catalans still look very threadbare at the back with captain Carles Puyol having undergone two operations during the close season and not due back till at least September.

Real meanwhile have bolstered an already strong midfield, but haven't so far replaced Gonzalo Higuain after he joined Napoli last month leaving only Karim Benzema and youngster Alvaro Morata to fill the lone striker's position.

There is though already a great deal more calm around Los Blancos following the departure of Jose Mourinho with the management team of Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane highly-respected by the squad and the players themselves coming together as a unit following the public clashes and fallouts that marked the Portuguese's final season at the Bernabeu.

That greater unity should mean Real push Barca a great deal closer than they did last season, but the title will again be defined by small margins.

Such is their dominance that firstly Real and then Barca amassed 100 points in winning the title in the past two seasons and with the gap only set to widen between them and the rest, it is highly likely whoever becomes champions will need to register a century of points once more.

In the battle for Champions League places, Atletico Madrid seem the best set despite losing star man Radamel Falcao to Monaco.

Atletico have arguably done the best business in terms of value for money as they replaced the 60 million euro Colombian with David Villa for an inital fee of just 2.1 million euros.

Continuing an uncharacteristic period of stability since Diego Simeone took charge of the club in December 2011, Atletico are only the only club to finish in the top six last season that haven't changed manager over the close season and they are heavy favourites to be the best of the rest once more.

Further down, Valencia, Sevilla, Real Betis and Real Sociedad are all likely to be in the mix for the European places despite all losing key players in recent months.

Valencia have replaced new Spurs signing Roberto Soldado with a former Spurs player, Helder Postiga, for a tenth of the price they sold Soldado, whilst Sevilla have also seen two Spanish internationals depart as Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo have joined Manchester City.

However, they will still most likely battle it out for the final Champions League place as last season's surprise package Sociedad haven't invested heavily in their squad despite the 39 million euro windfall they received from Illarramendi's departure.

Betis have lost their key creative lynchpin in Benat Extebarria after he rejoined Athletic Bilbao and the Basques themselves will be hoping for a far more successful campaign than their 12th-placed finish last season following the appointment of the highly-rated Ernesto Valverde as manager.

Pedro, Fabregas back in Barca training

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Spanish international duo Pedro Rodriguez and Cesc Fabregas are expected to be fit for Barcelona's league opener against Levante after taking part in training on Wednesday.

"The two players who were injured on the tour of Asia have taken part in some of the session with the rest of the team," said a statement on Barca's website.

Neither player had travelled with the Spain squad for their friendly with Ecuador in Guayaquil on Wednesday evening.

Pedro was not included in Vicente del Bosque's squad because of a calf injury, while Fabregas was forced to pull out of the travelling party to South America with a sprained right ankle.

Lionel Messi meanwhile could yet face Levante on Sunday as he continued his recovery work from a thigh injury that ruled him out of Argentina's friendly against Italy on Wednesday night.

There was more good news on the injury front for the Catalans as captain Carles Puyol stepped up the intensity of his training following knee surgery to remove a cyst last month.

However, the 35-year-old is not expected to be match fit until the end of September.

Magnificent seven for Barca on Martinos bow

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Barcelona welcomed new manager Gerardo Martino with a stunning display in his first competitive match in charge as they hammered Levante 7-0 at the Camp Nou on Sunday.

The Spanish champions showed no signs of early season rust as they ripped the visitors apart with goals from Alexis Sanchez, Lionel Messi (2), Dani Alves, Pedro and Xavi giving them an incredible 6-0 lead at half-time.

There was even more for the home fans to cheer after the break as Neymar made his competitive debut as a substitute and even after Martino had shown the visitors some mercy by withdrawing Messi with 20 minutes remaining, more woeful defending allowed Pedro to round off the scoring with his second of the game.

"I was anxious for the league to start to see where the team were and I have been left very calm," said Martino.

"We put a lot of emphasis on pressing and we managed to sustain it for the majority of the match."

Martino had taken the decision to leave Neymar, Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba on the bench after their international commitments in midweek and the Argentine's mark on the side he only took charge of on July 23 was very much in evidence as the hosts pressing left Levante camped inside their own half.

It only took Barca barely two minutes to register their first goal of the campaign as a slick pass from Xavi released Cesc Fabregas through on goal and he unselfishly squared for Sanchez to roll into an empty net.

Messi then got his account for the season up and running as he and Pedro exchanged a lovely one-two inside the area and the Argentine side-footed home from close range.

The third arrived on 23 minutes as this time Messi's pressing high up the field proved decisive as he robbed the ball and fed Fabregas and even when Keylor Navas got a hand to the former Arsenal man's pass, the ball dropped kindly for Alves to convert.

Another incredible defence splitting pass from Messi allowed Pedro to curl home the fourth moments later and after Pedro Lopez had stupidly upended Adriano inside the area, Messi stepped up to slam home his second of the evening from the penalty spot.

Barca's first-half rampage still wasn't complete though as Xavi marked the 15th anniversary of his Barca debut with a prodded finish from another delightful lofted through ball by Fabregas.

The Catalans weren't quite as clinical after the break as Navas got down to parry efforts from Gerard Pique, Adriano and Messi.

However, the moment many inside the crowd had been waiting for arrived on 62 minutes as Neymar made his competitive bow in a Barca shirt in place of the impressive Sanchez.

Messi was then also surprisingly withdrawn by Martino for Iniesta with the Argentine boss most likely looking ahead to the first-leg of the Spanish Super Cup to come on Wednesday away to Atletico Madrid.

Even without Messi though Barca still had another goal in them as Fabregas pounced on a slack passback by Hector Rodas and after rounding Navas he allowed Pedro to add the finishing touch on a wonderful start to the defence of their league title for the champions.