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Suarez, Messi share five goals in Barca’s opener
BARCELONA: Luis Suarez scored a hat trick and Lionel Messi added two more goals as Barcelona made a superb start to its Spanish league title defence by routing Real
BARCELONA: Luis Suarez scored a hat trick and Lionel Messi added two more goals as Barcelona made a superb start to its Spanish league title defence by routing Real Betis 6-2 on Saturday.
Suarez, who led scoring in La Liga with 40 goals last season, helped to put the result beyond doubt before half-time and struck twice afterward to complete the demolition.
Even better for the Catalan club, Messi destroyed any hopes of title rivals that a difficult summer could have affected his game.
Messi was found guilty in June of tax fraud in Spain - he is appealing - and lost another Copa America final with Argentina. But he was his normal brilliant self at Camp Nou.
Besides his brace, Messi took part in three more goals.
RONALDO RESUMES TRAINING
MADRID: Portugal’s Euro 2016 winning captain Cristiano Ronaldo resumed training for his club Real Madrid on Saturday after picking up a knee injury in the final victory over France.
No date has been set for a full return to action but a slimline and tanned Ronaldo trained separately from the rest of the group, as did teammate Karim Benzema, who has also been sidelined through injury.
“I can’t give a precise date for Ronaldo’s return” said Madrid’s French coach Zinedine Zidane.
“It’s good that Cristiano is back on the pitch, playing with the ball, it’s a good sign. He wants to come back as fast as possible and I’m happy to have him back at training.”
Real start their La Liga campaign against Real Sociedad on Sunday, but neither Ronaldo or Benzema, who is suffering with a back injury, will be fit to play.
