Barcelona enjoy goal fest at Gijon

MADRID: Barcelona scored their first win in the Spanish Liga in scintillating style, thrashing bottom placed team Sporting Gijon 6-1 away.
Lionel Messi led the rout with two goals, while Xavi Hernandez, Samuel Eto���o and Andres Iniesta scored, too, plus an own goal from Jorge Garcia. Francisco Maldonado gave Gijon brief hope by making it 3-1, before local defender Gerard Autet was sent off - and the floodgates opened.
"It���s great to get our first win," said a delighted Iniesta. "It���s also good to score a few goals, after having scored so few at the start of the season."
The handsome rout takes Barca up to ninth, with four points from three games. Newly promoted Gijon, who have no points and 11 goals against, will need to improve quickly if they wish to avoid a speedy return to the second division.
Earlier on Sunday, Real Madrid won 2-0 in Santander, thanks to second-half goals from Ruben de la Red and Ruud Van Nistelrooy. As usual this season, Real did not play particularly well but were as sharp as always in front of goal.
Iker Casillas had to make two smart saves to deny Santander striker Jonathan Pereira at the end of a dull first half. The defending champions came out for the second half with more aggression and purpose. De la Red gave them the lead in the 54th minute with a toe-poked shot, after Gonzalo Higuain had launched an incisive counterattack.
In the 74th minute, Van Nistelrooy made it 2-0 with a clever near- post drive, after skipping through a sluggish local defence. "It was a difficult game," said the Dutch veteran, "but we were clearly the better team in the second half." Real now have six points from three games and are in joint fifth position.