Sports

Pique rescues 10-man Barca

September 24, 2018



Barcelona’s Gerard Pique scores their second goal against Girona during their La Liga match at Camp Nou, Barcelona Sunday. — Reuters
Barcelona’s Gerard Pique scores their second goal against Girona during their La Liga match at Camp Nou, Barcelona Sunday. — Reuters

BARCELONA —

Barcelona’s 100 percent winning start to the season came to a halt Sunday when it was held to a 2-2 La Liga draw by Girona, having been reduced to 10 men for the final 55 minutes.

The result meant Barca lost its two-point advantage over Real Madrid at the top of the table, with both teams on 13 points after five games.

Sevilla compensated for last week’s surprise home defeat to Getafe by resoundingly thrashing Levante 6-2 away, Real Betis battled back to draw 2-2 at home to Athletic Bilbao and Valencia is still without a win after being held to a goalless draw at Villarreal.

Lionel Messi gave the champions the lead in the 19th minute with a first-time shot after a layoff from Chile international Arturo Vidal and came close to doubling the lead after dancing through a maze of defenders but saw his shot saved.

Barca’s strong start was derailed when defender Clement Lenglet was sent off 35 minutes into his first league start for the club after elbowing Pere Pons, a decision made after referee Jesus Gil Manzano consulted the video assistant referee (VAR) which enraged Barca’s players and supporters.

Girona took advantage of the situation right before the interval when Cristhian Stuani freed himself from Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets with an impressive piece of control and fired past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Uruguayan striker Stuani scored again on the rebound in the 51st to give Girona, playing only its second season in Spain’s top flight, an unlikely lead.

The Catalans continued to dominate proceedings despite their numerical disadvantage and they almost equalized when Messi sent a free kick crashing against the crossbar.

Pique headed in the leveler in the 63rd minute by climbing above two defenders to meet a scrappy, deflected cross from Luis Suarez after coach Ernesto Valverde had put on Ivan Rakitic and Philippe Coutinho for the underperforming Vidal and Arthur.

PSG keeps clean record

Olympique Lyonnais cruised to a 4-2 win over Olympique Marseille and Paris St Germain stretched its perfect Ligue 1 start to six wins after coming from behind to beat Rennes 3-1 away in a rip-roaring clash Sunday.

Bertrand Traore scored two goals in nine second-half minutes as Lyon outclassed the visitors, who had Duje Caleta-Car sent off late in the game, to move level with Marseille on 10 points after six games, one spot behind it on goal difference.

PSG’s victory kept it top of the French league on a maximum 18 points, five clear of second-placed Lille, after Angel Di Maria and Thomas Meunier cancelled out an early Adrian Rabiot own goal which fired the adventurous home side ahead.

Second-half substitute Eric Choupo-Moting added the third goal in the closing stages for the visitors, who rebounded from a 3-2 Champions League defeat by Liverpool Tuesday.

Bordeaux climbed out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 win over bottom side Guingamp. — Agencies


September 24, 2018
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