Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 5-1 to set a new record start to a La Liga season and open a 11-point gap on bitter rivals Real Madrid.
Gerard Pique put the Catalan side ahead after 22 minutes followed quickly by Messi’s first, which came off defender Fernando Amorebieta on the line, before Adriano Correia hit the third on the point of half-time.
Cesc Fabregas then added to the deluge of goals and Ibai Gomez got a consolation before Messi struck again.
Barca have now put together 13 wins and a draw from their first 14 matches to beat the previous best start in the Spanish top flight by Real Madrid in the 1991-92 season.
Messi also is now just one goal off Gerd Mueller’s record of 85 goals in a calendar year for Bayern Munich and Germany in 1972.
Jose Mourinho gave los Blancos fans the opportunity to boo him on the pitch 40 minutes before kick-off, but was greeted positively by those supporters inside the stadium, despite coming under criticism for his side’s poor start to the Liga campaign that saw them start this match eight points behind their city rivals.
It did not take long for his side to take the lead in the match, as Ronaldo made it 1-0 to the reigning Liga champions with an unstoppable free kick in the 16th minute, while Mesut Ozil added a second after the break to seal the win.
Gerard Pique put the Catalan side ahead after 22 minutes followed quickly by Messi’s first, which came off defender Fernando Amorebieta on the line, before Adriano Correia hit the third on the point of half-time.
Cesc Fabregas then added to the deluge of goals and Ibai Gomez got a consolation before Messi struck again.
Barca have now put together 13 wins and a draw from their first 14 matches to beat the previous best start in the Spanish top flight by Real Madrid in the 1991-92 season.
Messi also is now just one goal off Gerd Mueller’s record of 85 goals in a calendar year for Bayern Munich and Germany in 1972.
Jose Mourinho gave los Blancos fans the opportunity to boo him on the pitch 40 minutes before kick-off, but was greeted positively by those supporters inside the stadium, despite coming under criticism for his side’s poor start to the Liga campaign that saw them start this match eight points behind their city rivals.
It did not take long for his side to take the lead in the match, as Ronaldo made it 1-0 to the reigning Liga champions with an unstoppable free kick in the 16th minute, while Mesut Ozil added a second after the break to seal the win.