Ferran Torres struck twice for champions Barcelona as they beat Getafe 3-0 on Sunday to stay on Real Madrid’s tails at the top of La Liga.
Dani Olmo was also on target for the Catalans, who trail leaders Madrid by two points after Xabi Alonso’s side beat Espanyol on Saturday to maintain their 100 per cent record.
Atletico Madrid’s stuttering start to the season continued in a 1-1 draw at Mallorca, in which their striker Julian Alvarez missed a penalty.
Playing at the 6,000 capacity Johan Cruyff stadium besides their training ground again as the club waits for the necessary licenses to reopen their renovated Camp Nou home, Barcelona dominated an unambitious Getafe team.
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Despite his brace against Newcastle in the Champions League, German coach Hansi Flick left Marcus Rashford on the bench, with Spanish media reporting that it was because the England international was late for a morning meeting.
Flick has dropped other players from the line-up for the same offence in the past, including defender Jules Kounde.
“Rotation is normal because every three or four days we have a match, we need fresh legs on the pitch,” said Flick, when asked why Rashford did not start.
Rashford’s replacement as the stand-in for injured teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, Torres, took his chance with both hands.
“We have a lot of matches so it’s really good to have everyone on this level of performance,” added Flick.
The Spaniard opened the scoring with a powerful finish at the end of a slick move, with Olmo backheeling the ball into his path in the box.
Torres’s second finish was even better, guided into the bottom left corner from outside the box after Raphinha sent him through on goal.
The forward crashed a shot off the bar as a first half hat-trick beckoned.
Several Barca players lost their temper before the break as Getafe put in several hard and late tackles, with Kounde the victim of many of them.
Flick sent on Rashford for Raphinha at half-time, perhaps in order to save the Brazilian from a potential red card.
“A lot of the time, they don’t try to do anything apart from too many fouls, in my opinion, but we managed it well,” Torres told DAZN.
“I said to the team: we have to focus on our match, not on their match,” said Flick.
Rashford created Barcelona’s third, zipping inside from the right flank and unselfishly cutting the ball back for Olmo to finish, and had two efforts of his own saved by Getafe goalkeeper David Soria.
The only bad news for Barca was substitute Fermin Lopez appearing to pull up hurt in stoppage time.
Earlier, Atletico were held by Mallorca despite outplaying the hosts.
Diego Simeone’s side, reduced to 10 men after Alexander Sorloth’s red card, took the lead through Conor Gallagher but Vedat Muriqi levelled in the 85th minute.
The draw left Atletico 12th, having won just one of their first five league matches.
“I think we dominated the game from start to end, until we scored and they, with one more player, turned up the pressure,” Atletico captain Koke told DAZN.
“It’s clear that what matters is scoring goals, and they don’t want to go in.”
The draw leaves Atletico nine points behind leaders Real Madrid, and seven behind Barcelona.
Licking their wounds after a painful late Champions League defeat at Liverpool in midweek, Atletico were left with a similar feeling.
“We have to improve to hold on in games… but we’re building a new team, a lot of players have come in. We’re on the right path,” said Simeone.
Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman made several saves, including from Alvarez’s penalty after captain Antonio Raillo handled David Hancko’s shot in the first half.
The Rojiblancos’ job was made harder when Sorloth was dismissed for a high challenge on Raillo in the 72nd minute, but a few minutes later they took the lead as Gallagher netted a rebound.
Simeone’s side could not hold on and Muriqi nodded the hosts level with five minutes remaining.
AFP
