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Messi double leads five-star Barca past Leganes

Leganes’s Gabriel Pires scored his side only face-saving goal in 80th minute.

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“We started very well”.

Leganes, who finished runners-up to Alaves in last season’s Segunda Division, could not repeat the other newcomers’ win against the Spanish champions and were on the back foot as soon as the 15th minute when Lionel Messi put the visitors in front with a simple finish from Luis Suarez’s pass.

The hosts were given a warning when Diego Rico blocked Messi’s goalbound effort from Barca’s first counter-attack. Messi returned the favour in the 31st minute when he burst into the box and teed up an easy finish for Suarez past a stranded Jon Ander Serantes.

Suarez celebrates scoring Barca’s second goal – his fourth in as many matches in La Liga this season – after Messi provided the assist.

The Barca coach’s lineup caught the eye due to the lack of a right-back, with Javier Mascherano replacing Sergi Roberto to form a three-man defence with Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti, while Jordi Alba and Rafinha took on advanced full-back roles.

Messi produced a sublime trick on the edge of the centre circle, juggling the ball over the head of defender Pablo Insua before sending Suarez through on goal.

“What we like the most is to have games and have rhythm”.

The final Barcelona goal came from a more unfamiliar source and in glorious fashion as Rafinha strode forward, ushering Messi out of his path, before cutting inside to pick out the top corner left-footed from 20 yards.

Neymar and his Barcelona teammates next play Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp on 21 September, followed by games against Sporting Gijon and Borussia Mönchengladbach, all in the space of 7 days.

And Leganes got the reward their display merited 10 minutes from time when Gabriel curled a sensational free-kick past the helpless Ter Stegen.

Not to be outdone by his French global teammate, Griezmann then unleashed a stunning effort of his own from outside the box to make it 3-0 after just half an hour.

Illness-hit Bayern Munich conceded their first goal of the season before roaring back with a 3-1 win at home to Ingolstadt on Saturday to stay top of the Bundesliga.

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Kevin Gameiro netted his first goal from open play for Atletico, while Fernando Torres went on as a second-half substitute and scored twice, including one penalty.

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