Barca remain perfect after Catalan derby

BARCELONA maintained their perfect start to La Liga with a sixth straight win as Luis Suarez and two own goals secured a 3-0 win at Girona in a match laced with political tension on Saturday.

Real Madrid remain seven points behind Barca thanks to a Dani Ceballos brace on his full debut to bounce back from a shock midweek defeat by Real Betis with a 2-1 win at Alaves on Saturday to move up to fourth.

Girona were hosting Barca in a Catalan derby for the first time in the top flight, but a onesided game was marked by persistent chants in favour of independence for Catalonia.

Catalonia’s pro-separatist President Carles Puigdemont was in attendance, while the pro-independence Estelada flag was waved by sections of both supports.

“The game had its difficulties,” said Barca boss Ernesto Valverde. “It’s a derby, there was a great atmosphere, tension. It is normal, but we played well.”

Real bounce back

On the field there was much less controversy as Barca were rarely troubled after Aday Benitez turned Jordi Alba’s wayward shot into his own net after just 17 minutes.

Another own goal extended their advantage three minutes after half-time when goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz was fooled by Suarez’s dummy from Aleix Vidal’s cross.

And Suarez rounded off the scoring himself with just his second goal of the season by whipping the ball into Iraizoz’s near post from Sergi Roberto’s pass over the top.

At Mendizorroza, Real were once again wasteful in front of goal, but still sneaked by an Alaves side that remain without a point after six games.

“Today we needed the three points. We are not in brilliant form, but for sure we will play better on other days,” said Real boss Zinedine Zidane.

Ceballos was one of three changes made to the side that lost to Betis by Zidane as Luka Modric and Gareth Bale were left on the bench ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund.

Alaves could also have snatched a first point of the season as Alfonso Pedraza’s deflected effort hit the bar before Pedraza struck the post when clean through on goal.

“When you go away having only scored t wo goals for the cha nces we created t hen it isn’t a lot,” Zidane added.

Earlier, Diego Costa was an interested spectator as Atletico Madrid leapfrogged Sevilla into second thanks to goals from Yannick Carrasco and Antoine Griezmann in a 2-0 win at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Costa won’t be able to feature until January after completing his prolonged return to the club from Chelsea for a reported club record fee of £ 55 million ($66 million), plus £ 10 million in add-ons.

“We are happy that a player of his stature wants to come to Atletico Madrid,” Atletico boss Diego Simeone said of Costa’s return.