FERRAN Torres scored twice for champions Barcelona in their 3-0 victory over Getafe on Sunday, keeping them within two points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
Dani Olmo also found the net for the Catalans, who capitalised on their dominant performance at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff stadium.
Atletico Madrid’s inconsistent start to the season continued with a 1-1 draw at Mallorca, where striker Julian Alvarez missed a crucial penalty.
Barcelona controlled the match against an unambitious Getafe side while awaiting the necessary licences to reopen their renovated Camp Nou home.
Manager Hansi Flick left Marcus Rashford on the bench despite his brace against Newcastle in the Champions League, with Spanish media reporting the decision was due to the England international’s tardiness for a morning meeting.
Flick has previously dropped other players for the same offence, including defender Jules Kounde.
Torres seized his opportunity as Rashford’s replacement for the injured Lamine Yamal, delivering an impressive performance.
The Spaniard opened the scoring with a powerful finish after Olmo’s clever backheel in the box.
Torres doubled the lead with a precise shot into the bottom left corner from outside the area, following Raphinha’s through ball.
Barcelona players grew frustrated before half-time as Getafe committed several late tackles, with Kounde frequently targeted.
Flick introduced Rashford for Raphinha at the interval, possibly to protect the Brazilian from a potential red card.
Rashford created Barcelona’s third goal, cutting inside from the right and setting up Olmo for a simple finish.
The only setback for Barcelona was substitute Fermin Lopez appearing to sustain an injury in stoppage time.
Atletico Madrid dominated their match against Mallorca but failed to secure all three points.
Diego Simeone’s side took the lead through Conor Gallagher despite playing with ten men after Alexander Sorloth’s red card.
Vedat Muriqi equalised for Mallorca in the 85th minute, leaving Atletico in 12th place with just one win from their first five league games.
Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman made several key saves, including from Alvarez’s first-half penalty after Antonio Raillo handled David Hancko’s shot.
Simeone acknowledged the team’s need to improve but expressed confidence in their rebuilding process. – AFP
