Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/404410
50 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2014 Sport FOOTBALL Real spoil Suarez debut REAL Madrid overcame Neymar's early opening goal to see off arch rivals Barcelona 3-1 at the Berna- beu as Luis Suarez made his long- awaited debut for Barca. A Cris- tiano Ronaldo penalty levelled things up before the break and then a header from Pepe and Ka- rim Benzema's counterattack goal f lattened Luis Enrique's side, who suffered their first defeat of the season and also conceded for the first time in 776 minutes. In the build up to the first El Cla- sico of the season the focus was on Suarez and Lionel Messi, who was hoping to become the Primera Di- vision's all-time top scorer, but it was Los Blancos that took centre stage to cut the deficit behind the Catalans to a single point. Carlo Ancelotti made two chang- es to the team that had crushed Liverpool in mid-week, bringing in Dani Carvajal and Sergio Ramos for Alvaro Arbeloa and Raphael Varane, while Luis Enrique picked Jeremy Mathieu at left-back in- stead of Jordi Alba and chose Xavi over Ivan Rakitic in midfield. Suarez made his competitive debut for Barca 18 hours after his four month ban for biting Italy Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup came to an end. Barcelona turned up on enemy territory top of the table and with- out having conceded a league goal and needed just three minutes to break the deadlock. Xavi spread the play out to Sua- rez on the right hand side and the debutant picked out Neymar un- marked on the edge of the area, with the Brazilian cutting inside to the right to drive the ball into the far corner, leaving Iker Casillas and 75,000 Madrid fans stunned. The hosts wasted no time in re- sponding with a barrage of attacks. Benzema beat Claudio Bravo to a ball over the top but was unable to steer his shot on target. Then Marcelo's cutback fell just a yard or two beyond Benzema. It was not long before the French- man was bearing down on goal yet again, first heading a cross from Ronaldo onto the bar and then controlling the rebound and strik- ing the near post. Barca took their time to rearm but came within inches of a sec- ond midway through the first half. Suarez again found space on the right and drilled the ball across to Messi at the far post but Casillas was able to put off the Argentinian and force a corner. Neymar then found space in the area but was robbed before he could shoot by Dani Carvajal. There had been four failed penal- ty appeals in total by the half hour but referee Jesus Gil Manzano pointed to the spot at the fifth time of asking, penalising Gerard Pique for touching the ball with his hand as he slid to the f loor to defend Marcelo's cross. Ronaldo stepped up confidently to slam the spot-kick into the bot- tom corner and become the first player to score against Barcelona in the league this season. It was also the prolific Portuguese's 15th consecutive league goal at the Bernabeu. Madrid could have even nosed ahead just before the break, James Rodriguez ghosting in to meet a Marcelo cross but heading wide. Madrid made a strong start to the second half and won a corner when Pique def lected Ronaldo's shot wide. Toni Kroos sent an out- swinging corner into the heart of the box where Pepe leapt to nod into the net. But Barca nearly hit back, Math- ieu's rasping drive tipped around the post by Casillas. The visitors pushed for an equal- iser but conceded the killer third goal after winning a corner. Rak- itic's low corner was intercepted by Ronaldo, who launched a quick break. An error by Andres Iniesta on the touchline allowed Isco to find Ronaldo, who in turn released James Rodriguez before the ball dropped to Benzema to fire in off the far post. Barca were undone by a combi- nation of their own mistakes and Madrid's blistering power on the break. They never recovered, and their arch rivals marched on to their ninth straight win in all com- petitions. Cristiano Ronaldo jogs past a frustrated Lionel Messi Hammers defeat Manchester City A review of Saturday's action in the Barclays Premier League as Manchester City were beaten 2-1 by West Ham WEST Ham inflicted champions Manchester City's second defeat of the season to consolidate their place in the Premier League's top four on Saturday. Diafra Sakho's sixth goal in as many Premier League starts gave the Hammers a 2-1 victory - their fourth in five games - at Upton Park. Morgan Amalfitano gave Sam Al- lardyce's men a deserved first-half lead and Sakho, signed from Metz in the summer, made it 2-0 with the assistance of the Goal Decision System. A downward header by the Sen- egal forward - who went off with a shoulder injury - dropped over the line and was awarded after City goalkeeper Joe Hart had clawed the ball out inside the far post. David Silva hit back to set up a grandstand finale, but City missed the chance to narrow the gap to leaders Chelsea, who visit Manches- ter United on Sunday, and slipped behind Southampton into third place. Saints, 8-0 winners over Sunder- land last weekend, climbed to sec- ond, three points behind the Blues, with a 1-0 win over Stoke at St Mary's Stadium. Sadio Mane tucked in the rebound after Graziano Pelle's strike had hit the woodwork and it was enough to give Ronald Koeman's men seven wins in eight games in all competi- tions, the only blip coming at Tot- tenham earlier this month. Gus Poyet's Sunderland were un- able to respond positively to the thrashing by Saints as Arsenal won 2-0 thanks to more calamitous de- fending. Alexis Sanchez punished mistakes by Wes Brown and then goalkeeper Vito Mannone to give the Gunners just a third league win of the season and take Arsene Wenger's men to fifth in the standings. Mario Balotelli, retained in the starting XI by manager Brendan Rodgers, missed a late opportunity as Liverpool endured a frustrating goalless draw with Hull. The Reds are sixth, while Hull, who extended their unbeaten run to three games, are ninth. West Brom came from two goals down at half-time to draw 2-2 with Crystal Palace after Saido Berahi- no's stoppage-time equaliser from the penalty spot. Brede Hangeland and Mile Jedi- nak's penalty put the Eagles in front, but Victor Anichebe pulled a goal back and visiting goalkeeper Julian Speroni went off with a head knock. The delay to treat Speroni resulted in six minutes of stoppage time and Berahino converted from the spot after Anichebe had been fouled by Jedinak. In the late kick-off at the Liberty Stadium, Wilfried Bony scored both goals as Swansea saw off Leicester 2-0 - ending a run of five games without a win to climb into the top six. Bony managed 16 goals in his first season in English football but en- dured a slow start this time around following a summer where he played for Ivory Coast at the World Cup and had to put up with constant specula- tion over his future. But the 25-year-old has been back to his best in recent weeks and he ensured the Foxes would get noth- ing from their visit to south Wales by making it four goals in three games with one in each half on Sat- urday evening.