Pedri and Torres score late goals to give Barca 2-0 win over Cadiz
Pedri and Ferran Torres scored late in the second half to earn Barcelona their first LaLiga win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Cadiz, whose inspired goalkeeper Conan Ledesma had made a string of superb saves on Sunday.
Ledesma showed great reflexes to stop two early strikes from 16-year-old forward Lamine Yamal, who was making his first start for Barcelona in place of suspended Raphinha.
The teenager became the youngest player to make a LaLiga start in the 21st century, beating the previous record set by Fabrice Olinga in September 2012 with Malaga.
Cadiz’s goalkeeper later made an incredible one-handed save from a point-blank strike from Jules Kounde and blocked a Robert Lewandowski header right before the break.
The visitors were dangerous on the counter-attack and wasted two good chances with Roger Marti, but Barca came back on top of the second-half.
Barca finally managed to break the deadlock in the 83rd minute, Ilkay Gundogan found Pedri ghosting through off the defensive line with a perfect pass through and the midfielder steered past the onrushing Ledesma with a gentle touch.
Substitute Torres took advantage of a counter-attack to secure Barca the points as he raced onto a Robert Lewandowski header and scored with a tidy finish.
Barcelona had been held to a goalless draw by Getafe in their opening match of the season last weekend.
Atletico frustrated by Betis in drab goalless draw
Atletico Madrid had to settle for a disappointing goalless draw at Real Betis in their second game of the LaLiga season on Sunday.
It was a match that will not live long in the memory, as both teams created few dangerous chances in Seville’s scorching heat and the game ended with only one shot on target.
The hosts dominated the first half before Atletico piled on the pressure after the break but were frustrated by Betis’s disciplined defence.
“We didn’t have a good first half. Betis had much more control of the ball, we were unable to generate danger,” Atletico manager Diego Simeone told DAZN.
“The second half was the opposite. For me, it was a very good second half in which the team sought to win from the start. But despite having created several situations, we could have solved them better…”
Led by new recruit Isco, who made an inspired start, Betis dominated possession, with Abner, Ayoze Perez and Aitor Ruibal all having good chances in the first half that went wide.
But Atletico were better after the break, with 20-year-old Pablo Barrios coming off the bench to take control of the midfield against a Betis side who ran out of steam as the temperature stayed above 35 Celsius for most of the match.
Antoine Griezmann and substitutes Alvaro Morata and Samuel Lino tried to make the most of their limited chances, but were frustrated.
Both Betis and Atletico have four points, level with Barcelona and Girona. They all trail leaders Real Madrid and Valencia by two points.
Juventus ease to win over Udinese, Lecce earn last-gasp victory over Lazio
Juventus secured a comfortable 3-0 win at Udinese on Sunday, while late goals from Pontus Almqvist and Federico Di Francesco gave Lecce a 2-1 comeback victory over last season’s runners-up Lazio.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side put down a marker at the start of the campaign as they began their bid for a 37th league crown with an impressive win, scoring through Federico Chiesa, Dusan Vlahovic and Adrien Rabiot in the first half.
Juventus made a blistering start at Stadio Friuli, racing into the lead in the second minute after Vlahovic intercepted a stray pass and set up Chiesa, who drilled home a low shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Vlahovic made it 2-0 with an ice-cool penalty and Rabiot added the third with a bullet header before the break.
“We played a great game today. In the first half, we were very intense, and we have to play like that, picking the opponents up high,” Chiesa told DAZN.
“I feel good (about playing as a second striker with Vlahovic). We are not standing still, that’s what the coach is asking of us.”
Debutant Timothy Weah, who was signed from Ligue 1 side Lille last month, failed to make much of an impact for Juventus and was taken off at halftime after suffering a knock to his ankle.
Juventus controlled the second half without creating many more chances and were largely content to see the game out, though Vlahovic had a goal ruled out for offside after scoring with a diving header.
Brest, Monaco top Ligue 1 as only two sides with 100% record
Japanese attacker Takumi Minamino scored the opening two goals as Monaco won 3-0 at home against Racing Strasbourg on Sunday to keep up a 100% start to the new Ligue 1 campaign and take top spot in the early season standings.
Stade Brest are the only other side with a maximum six points after the second round of matches.
Minamino, who joined Monaco from Liverpool last year, won possession and fired home from well outside the Strasbourg box for the opening goal in the 20th minute and then headed home a curling cross from Caio Henrique for the second 16 minutes later.
Skipper Wissam Ben Yedder added the third goal in the second half to wrap up a comfortable win.
Brest followed last weekend’s come-from-behind 3-2 home win over Racing Lens with an away victory at promoted Le Havre. Central defender Lilian Brassier notched the winner in a 2-1 triumph as he headed home a 56th-minute corner.
Lille moved onto four points with a 2-0 home win over Nantes with Jonathan David snapping up a rebound to break the deadlock after the hour mark and Adam Ounas adding a stoppage-time second with a curling left-footed shot that went in off the upright.
Lille had defender Alexsandro Ribeiro sent off 12 minutes from time but Nantes failed to capitalise on the man advantage and lost for a second successive week.
Stade de Reims won their first points with a 2-0 home success over Clermont Foot, with Marshall Munetsi scoring in the 17th minute and Mohamed Daramy netting his first goal for his new club late in the game after arriving from Ajax Amsterdam earlier this month.
Lens, who were runners-up last season, got their first home game of the season off to the perfect start as fullback Deiver Machado fired home through a crowd of players after three minutes against Stade Rennais, but the game ended in a 1-1 draw despite a multitude of chances for the hosts.
Rennes equalised with a second-half penalty converted by Benjamin Bourigeaud against his former club.
Nice went ahead at Lorient through Evann Guessand in the 64th minute but their lead lasted less than a quarter-hour as Sirine Doucoure equalised. Both sides have now drawn their opening two games of the season.
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