Barca end bad run, Real attack stalls
MADRID, Sept 26, (AP): Wearing the No. 10 jersey that used to belong to Lionel Messi, Ansu Fati made a triumphant return from a long injury layoff on Sunday, scoring a goal and giving Barcelona fans hope for the future.
Fati, who hadn’t played in more than 10 months because of a knee injury, scored in stoppage time to seal a 3-0 Spanish league win over Levante that helped ease some of the pressure on Barcelona following a three-match winless streak.
The 18-year-old Fati was loudly cheered by the crowd at the Camp Nou
Stadium when he entered the match in the 81st minute, then profusely celebrated after scoring with a low shot from outside the area.
It was Fati’s 14th goal in 44 matches with Barcelona, and his first since the
“clásico” against Real Madrid at Camp
Nou last October. He ran near the stands after the goal to thank his relatives.
Fati’s initial recovery time from his left knee injury was about four months but there were several setbacks in the recovery process and he needed four surgeries to fully heal.
Memphis Depay and Luuk de Jong had each scored in the first 15 minutes of the match to put Barcelona on their way to their first victory since the demoralizing 3-0 home loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League two weeks ago.
The team had been in turmoil since then, with coach Ronald Koeman under pressure and at odds with club president
Joan Laporta and even some of his players for saying that the club would not realistically fight for titles this season. The victory moved Barcelona to fifth place. Memphis, who hadn’t found the net for Barcelona since the third round, opened the scoring by converting a penalty kick in the sixth minute after he was fouled. De Jong added to the lead from close range after a pass by Sergiño Dest in the 14th for his first goal with Barcelona since joining from Sevilla this season. Levante remains winless after seven matches, with four draws and three losses. Granada and Getafe are the only other teams without a win so far this season.
Javi Martínez scored an 88th-minnute winner as Osasuna beat Mallorca 3-2 for its second win in three matches.
All three of Osasuna’s victories this season have come in away matches.
With Karim Benzema and Vinícius Júnior finally contained, Real Madrid saw their five-match winning streak come to an end with a 0-0 draw against Villarreal at home.
It was the first time this season Madrid were held scoreless after outscoring opponents 22-8 in its first seven matches in all competitions.Their21 goals in six league games was their best mark since 1987-88.
Benzema and Vinícius Júnior had been carrying Madrid’s attack so far, with at least one of them scoring in five of the first seven matches.