Messi scores in Barca win, Suarez hits debut double

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Lionel Messi was back in scoring business for Barcelona on Sunday, leading them to a resounding 4-0 win at home against Villarreal in a near-perfect La Liga opener under new coach Ronald Koeman.

Teenage forward Ansu Fati was in inspirational form for Barca, combining with Jordi Alba to side-foot home first time into the net in the 15th minute and then striking again four minutes later with another ice-cool finish.

Fati, the 17-year-old in his second season in Barca’s first team after a stunning rise last year from the club’s youth set-up, then won the penalty which captain Messi dispatched to score the third in the 35th.

Lionel Messi shakes hands with Ronald Koeman after the game
Image: Lionel Messi shakes hands with Ronald Koeman after the game

Villarreal defender Pau Torres scored an own goal right at the end of the first half to heap more pain on Unai Emery’s side and Barca continued to dominate the game in the second half without managing to add to their hefty advantage.

Suarez scores on Atleti debut

Luis Suarez on his Atletico Madrid debut
Image: Luis Suarez celebrates scoring on his Atletico Madrid debut

Debutant Luis Suarez wasted no time in making his mark at Atletico Madrid, scoring twice on his debut.

Suarez came off the bench with 20 minutes remaining, and Atletico leading 3-0, to announce himself in style three days after his arrival from Barcelona with two goals in a 6-1 rout of Granada.

Diego Costa scored the only goal of the first half after nine minutes, with Saul Niguez’s seeing his 16th-minute penalty saved by Rui Silva for the hosts.

Angel Correa and Joao Felix netted before Suarez’s introduction, and he made an immediate impact by laying on for Marcos Llorente to add a fourth.

Suarez scored a fine header to open his account in the 85th minute and, while Jorge Molina grabbed a late consolation for Granada, the Uruguay striker slid home his second in stoppage time.

Bayern finally lose

Bayern Munich were beaten 4-1 by Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga
Image: Bayern Munich were beaten 4-1 by Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga

In Germany, European champions Bayern slipped to a first defeat in all competitions in 33 games dating back to December at Hoffenheim.

Ermin Bicakcic headed the home side into a 16th-minute lead which was doubled within eight minutes by Munas Dabour.

Joshua Kimmich reduced the deficit from distance with 36 minutes gone as his side attempted to preserve an unbeaten Bundesliga run which stretched to 21 games before kick-off.

Andrej Kramaric scored two lates goals against Bayern
Image: Andrej Kramaric scored two lates goals against Bayern

However, Andrej Kramaric dashed any hopes of a comeback when he restored Hoffenheim’s two-goal advantage with 13 minutes remaining and then cemented a 4-1 win with a stoppage-time penalty after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had fouled Ihlas Bebou.

Ronaldo double saves Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Juventus against Roma
Image: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Juventus against Roma

Cristiano Ronaldo’s second goal of the night rescued a 2-2 draw for 10-man Juventus away to AS Roma in Serie A on Sunday, after Jordan Veretout had twice put the capital club in front.

Veretout and Ronaldo netted penalties before the break after both teams were penalised for handball, before the French midfielder struck his second of the night in first-half stoppage time.

Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot was shown a second yellow card to leave his side a man down for the final third of the match, but a towering Ronaldo header earned a point for the Italian champions in Andrea Pirlo’s second game in charge.

The result leaves Juventus in fifth place, with four points from their opening two league games.

Roma are down in 13th on one point, as their opening day 0-0 draw against Hellas Verona was changed to a 3-0 defeat by Serie A because they fielded an ineligible player.

PSG back on track

French champions PSG earned their third successive Ligue 1 win after their opening two defeats as Argentine striker Mauro Icardi scored twice in their 2-0 win at struggling Reims on Sunday.

The result lifted PSG to seventh place on nine points from five games, four behind leaders Rennes, while Reims stayed 19th on one point.

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