SEVILLE, Spain: Luis Suarez and Munir El Haddadi scored in the second half to give Barcelona a 2-0 win at Sevilla in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday.
Arda Turan set up Suarez with a wonderful chested pass in the 54th minute after Denis Suarez found him in the area with a well-placed lob.
“We played a great second half,” Suarez said. “Turan has a lot of quality and he showed it in the first goal.”
Substitute El Haddadi sealed the win in the 81st from a pass by Lionel Messi five minutes after going on.
Sevilla’s pressure kept Barcelona at bay until a dip in intensity after halftime gave last season’s league and cup champions the space they needed to claim the commanding victory at Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
Barcelona lost both Andres Iniesta and Jeremy Mathieu to injury in the first half. The club says Iniesta bruised his right knee in a knock with Sevilla’s Mariano, while Mathieu pulled a muscle in his right thigh.
Before his exit, Iniesta surpassed Carles Puyol with the second-most appearances in club history at 594 matches. Xavi Hernandez holds the club record of 767.
The injuries allowed summer signings Denis Suarez and Lucas Digne to make their competitive debuts for Barcelona.
Sevilla, which lost the UEFA Super Cup 3-2 in added time to Real Madrid on Tuesday, visibly tired against a Barcelona side playing its first competitive match of the season.
Goalkeeper Sergio Rico, who denied Messi twice after Suarez’s opener, saved the hosts from a rout in their second match under new coach Jorge Sampaoli.
“We suffered in the second half because we were worn down after the other final,” Rico said.
The Spanish Super Cup pits the league champion against the Copa del Rey winner, but since Barcelona won both competitions, Sevilla was invited as the Copa del Rey runner-up.
The return leg is on Wednesday at Camp Nou.
Wydad, Zesco advance thanks to Ondama winner
In Johannesburg, Fabrice Ondama ended a 724-minute African goal drought to take his club, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, and Zesco United of Zambia into the CAF Champions League semifinals Monday.
The 28-year-old Congo Brazzaville striker scored in the final minute of a Group A match, enabling Wydad to pull off a dramatic 2-1 victory over ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast in Rabat.
Apart from assuring Wydad and second-place Zesco of last-four spots, the Ondama winner eliminated record eight-time champions Al Ahly of Egypt from the title race.
Zesco host Wydad on August 24 needing a victory to finish first and face Zamalek of Egypt or Enyimba of Nigeria in the semifinals.
Wydad have 10 points after matchday 5, Zesco eight, Ahly five and ASEC four. Ahly can finish level on points with Zesco but have an inferior head-to-head record.
Group B winners Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa face the Group A runners-up in the other semifinal.
Ondama, whose last CAF goal came in a 5-1 qualifying rout of Malagasy club CNaPS Sport five months ago, scored off a rebound to end the title hopes of ASEC.
Recent signing Abdeladim Khadrouf gave dominant Wydad the lead on 59 minutes, firing past goalkeeper Herve Koffi Kouakou from close range after an Ondama cut-back.
But ASEC equalized 10 minutes later as Yannick Zakri held off several defenders on the edge of the penalty area before beating goalkeeper Zouheir Laaroubi with a low shot into the corner.
Victory was a huge relief for Wales-born Wydad coach John Toshack, the former Real Madrid manager who had watched his team falter alarmingly after an impressive start in Group A.
Wins away to ASEC and at home to Zesco propelled the Moroccan outfit to the top of the table before they took only one point of a possible six off Ahly.
Off-form Wydad striker Reda Hajhouj was equally relieved, having had a poorly taken first-half penalty saved by Kouakou.
After scoring six goals in six qualifiers, Hajhouj has gone five group matches without adding to his total.
Five-time African champions Zamalek host twice title-holders Enyimba in Cairo later Monday needing one point to seal second place in Group B behind Sundowns.
Champions League winners receive 1.5 million dollars (1.35 million euros) and qualify for the annual FIFA Club World Cup, which Japan will host during December.
Arda Turan set up Suarez with a wonderful chested pass in the 54th minute after Denis Suarez found him in the area with a well-placed lob.
“We played a great second half,” Suarez said. “Turan has a lot of quality and he showed it in the first goal.”
Substitute El Haddadi sealed the win in the 81st from a pass by Lionel Messi five minutes after going on.
Sevilla’s pressure kept Barcelona at bay until a dip in intensity after halftime gave last season’s league and cup champions the space they needed to claim the commanding victory at Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
Barcelona lost both Andres Iniesta and Jeremy Mathieu to injury in the first half. The club says Iniesta bruised his right knee in a knock with Sevilla’s Mariano, while Mathieu pulled a muscle in his right thigh.
Before his exit, Iniesta surpassed Carles Puyol with the second-most appearances in club history at 594 matches. Xavi Hernandez holds the club record of 767.
The injuries allowed summer signings Denis Suarez and Lucas Digne to make their competitive debuts for Barcelona.
Sevilla, which lost the UEFA Super Cup 3-2 in added time to Real Madrid on Tuesday, visibly tired against a Barcelona side playing its first competitive match of the season.
Goalkeeper Sergio Rico, who denied Messi twice after Suarez’s opener, saved the hosts from a rout in their second match under new coach Jorge Sampaoli.
“We suffered in the second half because we were worn down after the other final,” Rico said.
The Spanish Super Cup pits the league champion against the Copa del Rey winner, but since Barcelona won both competitions, Sevilla was invited as the Copa del Rey runner-up.
The return leg is on Wednesday at Camp Nou.
Wydad, Zesco advance thanks to Ondama winner
In Johannesburg, Fabrice Ondama ended a 724-minute African goal drought to take his club, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, and Zesco United of Zambia into the CAF Champions League semifinals Monday.
The 28-year-old Congo Brazzaville striker scored in the final minute of a Group A match, enabling Wydad to pull off a dramatic 2-1 victory over ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast in Rabat.
Apart from assuring Wydad and second-place Zesco of last-four spots, the Ondama winner eliminated record eight-time champions Al Ahly of Egypt from the title race.
Zesco host Wydad on August 24 needing a victory to finish first and face Zamalek of Egypt or Enyimba of Nigeria in the semifinals.
Wydad have 10 points after matchday 5, Zesco eight, Ahly five and ASEC four. Ahly can finish level on points with Zesco but have an inferior head-to-head record.
Group B winners Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa face the Group A runners-up in the other semifinal.
Ondama, whose last CAF goal came in a 5-1 qualifying rout of Malagasy club CNaPS Sport five months ago, scored off a rebound to end the title hopes of ASEC.
Recent signing Abdeladim Khadrouf gave dominant Wydad the lead on 59 minutes, firing past goalkeeper Herve Koffi Kouakou from close range after an Ondama cut-back.
But ASEC equalized 10 minutes later as Yannick Zakri held off several defenders on the edge of the penalty area before beating goalkeeper Zouheir Laaroubi with a low shot into the corner.
Victory was a huge relief for Wales-born Wydad coach John Toshack, the former Real Madrid manager who had watched his team falter alarmingly after an impressive start in Group A.
Wins away to ASEC and at home to Zesco propelled the Moroccan outfit to the top of the table before they took only one point of a possible six off Ahly.
Off-form Wydad striker Reda Hajhouj was equally relieved, having had a poorly taken first-half penalty saved by Kouakou.
After scoring six goals in six qualifiers, Hajhouj has gone five group matches without adding to his total.
Five-time African champions Zamalek host twice title-holders Enyimba in Cairo later Monday needing one point to seal second place in Group B behind Sundowns.
Champions League winners receive 1.5 million dollars (1.35 million euros) and qualify for the annual FIFA Club World Cup, which Japan will host during December.
