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Messi is the catalyst as Barca maintain perfect start

Andy West

05:58 22/09/2014

Barcelona kept their 100 per cent record intact and kept another clean sheet as Lionel Messi orchestrated a 5-0 win over 10-man Levante, scoring one, creating two and even finding time to miss a penalty.

Neymar, Ivan Rakitic, Sandro and Pedro were also on target in an ultimately easy win, but Levante came within inches of scoring first when Jose Luis Morales burst clear and delivered an enticing ball across the face of goal, only for Rakitic to clear and prevent a certain goal.

Messi and Andres Iniesta then combined to tee up Neymar, but the Brazilian shot straight at advancing home ‘keeper Jesus Fernandez.

Levante again threatened when David Barral skimmed a header wide and Neymar was also off target with his head after running onto a long lofted pass from Javier Mascherano.

The opener came when Messi split open the home defence with a throughball for Neymar, who rounded Fernandez and kept his balance on the slippery rain-sodden turf to slot home.

It should have been two when Iniesta found Messi and the Argentine was crudely tripped as he prepared to shoot. Loukas Vyntra was shown a straight red card for the foul but Levante were spared further punishment as Messi blasted the penalty well wide.

It was just a temporary reprieve, however, as Rakitic made it 2-0 before the break when a half-clearance dropped into his path and he unleashed a ferocious 25-yard halfvolley into the left corner.

Neymar was replaced as a precaution after landing badly early in the second half but his replacement Sandro soon swept home another fine Messi assist to make it 3-0, and the fourth followed when Jordi Alba sped into the area and cut back a low cross for Pedro to convert with ease.

Messi grabbed a deserved goal when Fernandez horribly fluffed a throw straight to the Argentine star who promptly lofted it straight back over his head and into the net.

It means new manager Luis Enrique has enjoyed victory in each of his opening four league games without conceding a single goal in the process, something Barcelona have never previously achieved.

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