Luis Fabiano netted the equaliser and Frederic Kanoute struck twice to earn Sevilla a 3-1 comeback victory at home to a second-string Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup.
|Last Updated: Aug 16, 2010, 09:22 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Barcelona: Luis Fabiano netted the equaliser and Frederic Kanoute struck twice to earn Sevilla a 3-1 comeback victory at home to a second-string Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic poked the La Liga champions in front in the 20th minute of Spain`s traditional season opener at Sevilla`s Sanchez Pizjaun stadium, before Fabiano levelled for the King`s Cup winners just after the hour.
Substitute Kanoute fired the hosts in front with just over 15 minutes left and nodded a second in the 83rd to put the Andalusians in a strong position ahead of the second leg next Saturday at the Nou Camp.
Barca coach Pep Guardiola opted not to take any of the eight members of Spain`s World Cup-winning squad to Sevilla, also leaving World Player of the Year Lionel Messi on the bench and including several youth-team players in his starting line-up.
Local media have speculated Ibrahimovic will leave Barca before the transfer window closes at the end of the month but Guardiola deployed the burly Sweden striker at centre forward on a sweltering night in Seville.He went some way toward silencing his critics when he sprinted on to Maxwell`s curled pass and slipped the ball low past goalkeeper Andres Palop.
Sevilla looked much more dangerous after the break and had a deserved equaliser when Fabiano ran on to a pass from new signing Luca Cigarini and slotted through the legs of Barca goalkeeper Mino.
The Brazilian striker, who Olympique Marseille are attempting to lure to Ligue 1, pointedly grabbed the Sevilla shield on his shirt as he celebrated.
Kanoute flicked the ball high into the net from Alvaro Negredo`s cross to put Sevilla ahead before heading powerfully home from Diego Perotti`s cross as Barca wilted."We suffered a bit at the start but we played a very good second half," Kanoute said in a television interview.
"But they were missing a lot of players and we`ll have to be very careful in the second leg," the Mali striker added.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.