Barcelona make it six out of six

BARCELONA: FC Barcelona’s Neymar, from Brazil, center, reacts after scoring against Real Sociedad with teammates Lionel Messi, from Argentina, right, and Andres Iniesta during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium here on late Wednesday. Photo: AP

Neymar scored his first Primera Division goal while Lionel Messi continued his red-hot form as Barcelona brushed aside Real Sociedad 4-1 to make it six league wins from six at the start of the season.
Sociedad hit the crossbar in the first minute but Barca then scored three times in quick succession to all but end the match before half-an-hour at the Camp Nou.
Summer signing Neymar, whose only previous goal for Barca was in the Spanish Supercopa against Atletico Madrid, opened the scoring in the fifth minute, Messi doubled the lead three minutes later and Sergio Busquets made it 3-0 in the 23rd minute.
Sociedad pulled a second-half goal back through Alberto De la Bella and briefly threatened to make further inroads, but they could not find another breakthrough and Barca wrapped up the scoring through substitute Marc Bartra with 13 minutes left.
Atletico Madrid also maintained their 100% record to start the season with a 2-1 win over Osasuna.
A first-half brace from Diego Costa was enough to help Atletico keep the pace with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga standings.
Costa’s opening goal came from inside the penalty area and it didn’t take long for the 24-year-old to double his side’s advantage as he latched onto Jorge Koke’s cross with a powerful header in the 25th minute.
In between Costa’s goals Arda Turan had found time to head narrowly wide and while Atletico had now begun to move through the gears their progress was slowed by Oriel Riera’s strike on 43 minutes to pull one back for Osasuna.
Mario Suarez was fouled Abella Damia and from the resulting free-kick Armenteros picked out Riera to score from six yards.
Costa was denied his hat-trick shortly after half-time when Osasuna goalkeeper Andres Fernandez parried his shot while Armenteros could only muster a weak effort at the other end.
Damia wasted Osasuna’s best chance when he shot over from close range and from there Atletico could have grabbed a third with Turan missing the target and Emiliano Insua twice going close.
Malaga moved into the top half of the table with a 2-0 win over lowly Almeria at the La Rosaleda.
The visitors missed a chance to break out of the relegation zone, but showed signs of promise as they held Malaga to a 0-0 draw at the break.\
Fernando Tissone and Francisco Portillo were on target as Malaga made it four games without defeat after their sluggish start to the season.
Duda provided the corner and when Sergio Sanchez headed across the box, Tissone was on hand to provide the finishing touch in the 69th minute to put Malaga in front.
Roque Santa Cruz was brought on as a late substitute and he provided the pass for Portillo to curl one home and seal the win.
Levante were left frustrated after being held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Real Valladolid in their mid-table clash at Estadi Ciutat de Valencia.
A bad-tempered match saw one red and five yellow cards with Valladolid’s French left-back Zakarya Bergdich given his marching orders in the 44th minute with the score at 1-1.
But Levante were unable to capitalise on playing half the match with an extra man with Andreas Ivanschitz failing to convert a match-winning penalty after Bergdich had gone.