Barcelona beats Athletic 2-1 in Spanish Supercup
BILBAO, SPAIN (AP) - Xavi Hernández and Pedro Rodríguez scored in the second half to Barcelona a victory for 2-1 on Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday.
After Marcos Oscar opened for hosts in one minute 45 in the San Mamés Stadium, Peter had fed Xavi in the 59th to the equalizer. Cut, Pedro then long beyond goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz Moreno for the winner in the 68th shot.
Barcelona was without Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and signs new Zlatan Ibrahimovic that bids for the first of a possible six Trophy this season. Barcelona defeated the athletic in Copa del Rey final season passed as part of their historic treble along with the League and Champions League triumphs.
The second tranche will be played in Camp Nou 23 August.
As well as attempting to preserve their three titles, Barcelona also meets winner UEFA Shakhtar Donetsk for the European Super Cup 28 August and competes in clubs World Cup in December.
Although Thierry Henry began in spite of an Achilles tendon injury, Barcelona offense lacked punch the intermediate period of the game before objective of Xavi re-energized the Catalans, that had dominated from the outset.
Seydo Keita broke free on the left side of the area to find Peter with a focused pass that was expressed to Xavi, and the International English closed right - shot clarifies around a crowd and the appropriate post.
Xavi returns the favor with a short lead Peter intensified to fire a curling strike outside the stretched Athletic goalkeeper.
"The truth is that things are working well, my teammates have been large, and I have only been lucky enough to goal," said Peter. We hope play well at home to win the title.
Athletic need at least a 2-0 victory to lift their first piece of silverware since winning the competition in 1984.
"Has to play," defender Aitor OCIO said. "We will have to give all".
Barcelona expected sure go ahead as they control by the first 25 minutes with Bojan Krkic, who scored in the Copa del Rey 4-1 victory may, seeing his shot from a tight angle divert the wide just before of the adolescent closed shot of long outside the toolbar at the fourth minute.
Iraizoz Moreno tipped a dangerous Daniel Alves shot on the toolbar in the 11th and ran Xavi in the 24th to Barcelona midfielder boost their shot on goal from the edge of the penalty area.
Athletic finally in the 32nd, threatened as leisure volleyed on goal from the inside of the area. Five minutes later, Concierge of Barcelona Víctor Valdés had dump by Marcos car from only inside of the Barcelona half during the goal.
Marcos de 20 years of age showed composure to score and dribbled around of Gerard Pique by Carles Puyol had tilted accidentally his shot low on Valdés, who had already fallen in advance.
Marcos maintained defence of border Barcelona to start the second half as hosts maintained momentum to start, but that quickly evaporado after of two goals from Barcelona.
Iraizoz Moreno palmed shot long Alves outside of the 1980s to maintain bar close ahead of the second leg athletic.
While Super Cup typically includes the winners of the League and Copa del Rey, hazaña last Barcelona season means Atlético appeared this time as lose Cup finalist.
There was silence a minute before start of the party in remembrance of Espanyol Daniel Jarque, who died from cardiac arrest last Saturday's player...[source]
