11th September
From Nando:
BARCELONA (September 11, 1999) - Brazilian forward Rivaldo scored twice and Patrick Kluivert put home his first league goal of the season as Barcelona breezed to a 3-0 win over Catalan rival Espanyol Saturday. All three goals came in the second period, after an ugly clash between Luis Figo and Mauricio Pochettino - the Portuguese winger lashing out after the umpteenth late tackle from his marker - had seen both sides reduced to 10 men in first half injury time. Barcelona made greater use of the extra space in the second half and in the end ran out comfortable winners in front of a 98,000 Nou Camp full house. The result made it three wins out of three for Louis van Gaal's side and left it two points clear in the standings. Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano can both join them on nine points on Sunday if they extend their winning runs against Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad respectively.
Deportivo was in second place on Saturday night after a 2-0 home win over Valladolid gave it seven points. Roy Makaay set the home side on their way with a goal after just 15 seconds and Djalminha wrapped up the points from the penalty spot on 26 minutes.
In Saturday's other game, Valencia's dismal start to the season continued with a 2-0 home loss to Alaves. Valencia, which kicks off its Champions League campaign with a difficult home clash with Scotland's Rangers Wednesday, has lost all three of its Spanish first division games so far.
Barcelona, which before the game was presented with the 1998-99 league trophy, started slowly but gradually took control of the game and were unstoppable in the second half.
The first goal finally arrived on 75 minutes as Rivaldo controlled a neat flick from Kluivert to lash past the exposed Cavallero.
Kluivert himself added an all-Dutch second goal on 84 minutes after a great cross from Boudewijn Zenden was nodded on by Philip Cocu to leave him in space in the area.
Kluivert capped a great performance a minute later as he slid through a pass for Rivaldo to net his second.
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22nd August
(from ESPN)
BARCELONA, Spain -- Real Madrid staged a late rescue act on an eventful opening day of the Spanish league season on Saturday, as injury-time goals from Fernando Morientes and Raul Gonzalez salvaged Real a fortunate 2-1 win at Mallorca. Real, which wasted a stack of chances and missed a penalty before the home side took the lead 51 minutes into the match on a Carlos Dominguez tap-in, finally found its touch in front of goal as Morientes slid in to tie the score. Real Madrid's Geremi Ndjitap, right, battles Mallorca's Jovan Stankovic for possession. Then, as Mallorca shoulders dropped at the end of a furiously-contested match, Raul took the lead on a deft chip from the edge of the penalty box in the fourth minute of extra time to steal the points. There was also drama at Valencia's Mestalla stadium, where the home side was beaten 2-1 by Racing Santander in a game that featured three penalties and one red card. Hector Cuper's side, trailing because of a Salva Ballesta 20th-minute goal, missed its first chance from the spot and then fell 2-0 behind, Ballesta showing Gaizka Mendieta how it should have been done. Mendieta had clearly learned his lesson as he reduced the arrears with his second attempt from the spot with 15 minutes to go. Valencia pushed hard for the equalizer but the club's chances were effectively ended as Amadeo Carboni was sent off for violent conduct with five minutes to play. By comparison, the night's other game was a quiet affair, as Athletic Bilbao held on for a 1-0 win at home to Real Betis. Real's remarkable recovery, which had echoes of Manchester United's heroic 2-1 European Cup final comeback against Bayern Munich last season, spared the blushes of coach John Toshack on what had looked set to be a desperate start to the new campaign. Toshack, who gave $35-million striker Nicolas Anelka a debut but kept Steve McManaman on the bench until the 65th minute, watched in dismay as his team wasted a stack of first-half chances and then appeared to throw the game away five minutes after the break. Club captain Fernando Hierro first missed a penalty, shooting straight at keeper German Burgos, and less than a minute later Real fell behind. Jovan Stankovic floated in a cross from the right and, after Bodo Illgner had fallen under a heavy challenge, Dominguez pounced to stab home. That knocked Real off its stride after it had calmly weathered the early attacks of a Mallorca side desperate to impress in their opening game at the new San Moix stadium. With Geremi Njitap energetic in midfield and Brazilian Savio Bortolini sparkling on the left, Real might have scored four but for wasteful finishing. Raul was the main culprit as he twice smashed the ball straight at a defender when clean through. One of his shots also hit a post. Anelka was struggling to get involved, however, as his lack of match fitness showed and he was substituted in the 70th minute. McManaman, the former Liverpool winger, made a nervous start, seemingly wary of running at the Mallorca defense and instead preferring to lay off to his colleagues. But it was his neat pass to Morientes that set up the Spaniard for the equalizer.