ACTUALITE |
25.10.2004
ETO`O DOUBLE SPARKS BARCA
sportinglife.com
Barcelona have extended their lead at the summit of the Primera Liga, after a brace from Samuel Eto`o and a penalty from Ronaldinho took them to a comfortable win over Osasuna at the Nou Camp.
Barca made the breakthrough shortly before half-time with two goals in three minutes, as Ronaldinho`s spot kick doubled the advantage moments after a volley from Eto`o had broken the deadlock.
Cameroon international Eto`o then grabbed the second at the death with Osasuna already well beaten.
Barca had an early scare when goalkeeper Victor Valdes` clearance ricocheted off Valmiro Lopez and flew across the face of goal.
After just seven minutes a defensive lapse from Osasuna could have been costly but for a lack of potency from Xavi Hernandez in front of goal.
Xavi intercepted a pass from Patxi Punal but running clear on goal he side-footed wide.
Osasuna have developed a reputation as an attack-minded team and they began the match with this ethos.
Valdo fed Pierre Webo and the battling centre forward had his shot blocked from an acute angle. Minutes later another Osasuna attack saw Webo head down for David Lopez, whose fierce shot brought a smart save out of Valdes.
Barca were struggling to find their rhythm and Ronaldinho, as he has been for much of the season, was subdued.
Xavi had a shot from the edge of the area which went wide and Ludovic Giuly escaped down the right wing and saw his shot blocked by a last-ditch tackle from Cesar Cruchaga.
However these were spawned from Osasuna errors rather than their own creativity.
Five minutes before the interval Barca did take the lead thanks to a clinical Eto`o finish. Ronaldinho lifted the ball over the defence and the Cameroon international turned sharply 15 yards out to volley past Ricardo Sanzol, who perhaps was a little slow to react.
Barca had the bit between their teeth and three minutes later grabbed a second through a questionable penalty.
Ronaldinho knocked the ball past Cruchaga and then fell as the Osasuna defender blocked his way. The Brazilian himself took the penalty and sent Sanzol the wrong way from the spot.
With a two-goal deficit Osasuna were finding it difficult to muster a response while Barca were playing the ball around confidently.
Coach Frank Rijkaard brought Rafael Marquez from central midfield into the back four and Gio van Bronckhorst was shifted into the three-man midfield to give the home side more of an attacking edge.
Substitute John Aloisi did glance a header past the post but this was an isolated attack as the home side dominated.
Ronaldhino had awoken from his lackadaisical start and was back to his mercurial best, dribbling and beating players.
After 70 minutes with his back to goal he flicked the ball to Deco, but the Portuguese international laid the ball off to Eto`o, who saw his shot blocked.
With a little over 15 minutes left Rijkaard took off Ronaldinho for 17-year-old Leo Messi, who has been tipped for the top for many years and has been brought through the ranks by Barca since moving from his native Argentina.
Messi had little chance to impress in the closing stages while fellow substitute Andres Iniesta was unlucky to see a shot from the edge of the area come back off the post during injury time.
Then in the final minute of the match Iniesta linked up with Eto`o, who collected his pass and played it back to the summer signing from Mallorca, who beat Sanzol with a classy finish.
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