Barcelona outdo Real Madrid on a night of goals

Barcelona outdo Real Madrid on a night of goals

MADRID, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) --Barcelona went one better than Real Madrid to remain top of the Spanish Primera Liga on Saturday night.

Pep Guardiola's side kicked off their Primera Liga game at home to Valladolid moments after Real Madrid had finished their dramatic home game to Malaga.


Barcelona's goalkeeper Victor Valdes blocks a shot next to Toure Yaya and Valladolid's Henok Goitom during their Spanish First Division soccer match at Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona, Nov. 8, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)


At 10 pm Real Madrid had gone top of the Primera Liga table, thanks mainly to an incredible display from Argentinean striker Gonzalo Higuain. Higuain scored all four goals as Real came back from behind on three occasions before finally defeating Malaga 4-3.

The former River Plate forward proved to be the perfect replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy, who is likely to miss the rest of 2008 with a knee injury.


Barcelona's Thierry Henry celebrates a goal against Valladolid during their Spanish First Division Soccer League match at Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona, Nov. 8, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)


In the first half, Malaga took the lead after six and 17 minutes thanks to goals from Eliseu Pereira and Nabil Baha, but each time they were pegged back by Higuain, the second from the penalty spot.

The home side were reduced to 10 men when Sergio Ramos was sent off for stamping on Eliseu just before the break and Malaga again took the lead with just 20 minutes remaining through Apono. But Higuain again leveled the scores a minute later, before he secured all three points after 79 minutes, moments after he had failed to score his second penalty of the night.

However, if Higuain thought scoring four goals was going to make him the hero of the night, he was mistaken. Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o scored four in the first half of his side's 6-0 destruction of Valladolid.

Kicking off their match at 10 pm, Barcelona produced another unstoppable home display. The side coached by Pep Guardiola have won their last three Primera Liga games in their Camp Nou stadium,6-1, 5-0 and now 6-0.

Eidur Gudjohnsen and Thierry Henry scored goals in the second half to put Barcelona back on the top of the table. However, while Real Madrid left the pitch to boos from their fans, Barca left the turf of the Camp Nouto a standing ovation.


L-R) Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o, Lionel Messi and Carles Puyol celebrate a goal against Valladolid during their Spanish First Division soccer match at Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona, Nov. 8, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)