Two goals for Arda Turan and one for Leo Messi saw Barcelona lift their first trophy of the season as they completed a 5-0 aggregate victory over Sevilla in Wednesday’s Spanish Super Cup second leg at the Camp Nou.
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After being Sevilla on the road 2-0 on Sunday, Arda Turan scored twice and Lionel Messi scored once as the hosts dominated the second leg with smart, quick passing and clinical finishing.
The Turkish midfielder picked up a pass from Messi in the ninth minute, ran in on goal and drove a left-foot shot past goalkeeper Sergio Rico.
Just after the half-hour mark Sevilla were handed a lifeline as Samuel Umtiti was adjudged to have handled in the area but Vincente Iborra’s poor penalty was comfortably saved by Claudio Bravo. “We did a fantastic job last season and we are hungry for titles”.
It was Barcelona’s eighth title of a possible ten under Luis Enrique.
Messi then sent Rico flailing in vain to keep out his lofted header from a cross by summer signing Lucas Digne.
A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in honour of former Federation Internationale de Football Association president Joao Havelange, who died this week.
Luck continued to desert Sevilla as the game headed towards the break with Gabriel Mercado’s stooping header coming back off the woodwork. New Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli now has a tough challenge to turn things around in the second leg.
The reportedly Manchester City bound Bravo was left somewhere between concerned and perplexed as the normally reliable Javier Mascherano chipped narrowly over his own crossbar under little pressure but, as in the first leg, Luis Enrique’s men led against the run of play.
“It’s always hard to play against Barcelona and more so when you have a 2-0 deficit from the opening leg”, Sevilla’s Luciano Vietto told Telecinco.
The Super Cup is Spain’s traditional season opener between the winners of the league and King’s Cup.
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It is the first time Barcelona have won the Spanish Super Cup since 2013.
