Madrid (AFP) – Veteran star strikers Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema each hit doubles on Sunday in contrasting victories for Barcelona and La Liga leaders Actual Madrid.
Lewandowski scored twice for the second recreation in a row as Jules Kounde made his debut in Barcelona’s 4-0 cruise previous Valladolid.
Later, Actual Madrid struggled for 88 minutes at Espanyol. With the scores tied and time operating out, Benzema put Actual forward earlier than sealing a 3-1 victory after 10 eventful added minutes.
Actual saved their good begin to the season and climbed again to the highest of the desk on 9 factors after three video games, forward of Actual Betis on aim distinction.
Barcelona rose to 3rd, two factors additional again.
“To have Lewandowski in your group is a blessing,” mentioned Barca coach Xavi Hernandez.
“He’s a rare participant. Spectacular. A pure chief. It’s a blessing to have him with us, it’s marvellous.
“He’s a mannequin, a born employee. He’s humble, he works for the group, he helps the teaching employees, he makes the distinction.”
On the Camp Nou, Xavi handed Kounde his first begin after the membership was lastly in a position to register the France defender they signed from Sevilla final month for a reported 50 million euros ($49.8 mn).
Lewandowski hit the publish with an early header.
Pedri then noticed the run of Raphinha in behind however the Brazilian was thwarted by goalkeeper Jordi Masip, who was properly crushed moments later when Ousmane Dembele’s venomous shot clipped the crossbar.
Barca’s stress advised after 24 minutes as Raphinha whipped in a teasing cross which a playing Lewandowski stabbed house.
A marauding Dembele examined Masip from vary, after which created the second for Pedri by rolling a wonderfully weighted ball for the midfielder to bury on the stroke of half time.
Lewandowski all however put the sport past attain on 64 minutes, operating onto a move from Dembele and cleverly backheeling previous Masip with the assistance of a deflection off Joaquin Fernandez.
Valladolid practically pulled one again however Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved properly from Oscar Plano and Kounde caught out a leg on the road to maintain out the follow-up effort from Roque Mesa.
Barca grabbed a fourth in stoppage time as Roberto volleyed house after Lewandowski was denied a hat-trick after Masip, a former Barcelona participant, tipped his shot onto the bar.
– ‘We had been fairly gradual’ –
Within the late recreation, Vinicius Junior ran on to a pointy diagonal move within the twelfth minute to slip the ball into the far nook and provides Actual Madrid the lead.
Espanyol fought again. Joselu levelled after 43 minutes. He burst by and when Thibaut Courtois saved his first thump at aim and the ball bounced off Eder Militao, the Espanyol striker beat each Actual gamers to the ball and scuffed it in.
Each groups had possibilities within the second half earlier than Benzema, as so typically within the final yr, determined the sport. After a quiet recreation, he discovered house on the far publish with two minutes left, met Rodrygo’s cross and volleyed house from cose vary.
Deep into frantic added time, Espanyol goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte, charged out of his field to cease a Actual assault and acquired a pink card for a foul on Dani Ceballos.
Benzema fired house the free-kick.
“We had been fairly gradual,” mentioned Actual coach Carlo Ancelotti. “We had issue managing the depth of the match.”
Villarreal dropped their first factors of the season in a 0-0 draw at Getafe as Unai Emery’s facet noticed the award of a penalty overturned following a VAR assessment within the dying levels.
