Messi, Fabregas lift Barcelona to Super Cup win

Posted Saturday, August 27, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

MONACO (AP)—Lionel Messi and substitute Cesc Fabregas scored as Barcelona beat nine-man FC Porto 2-0 to win the European Super Cup on Friday.

Messi, crowned Thursday as the Best Player in Europe, struck in the 39th minute after collecting a misplaced backpass from Porto midfielder Freddy Guarin.

The Argentina forward was standing all alone on the edge of the penalty box, then rounded goalkeeper Helton to shoot into an unguarded net.

Porto defender Rolando got a second yellow card for tripping Messi minutes before Fabregas scored with a neat volley in the 88th.

Guarin was then shown a straight red card for a petulant challenge on Javier Mascherano.

Victory made Pep Guardiola the most decorated coach in Barcelona’s history with 12 trophies in just his fourth season. Dutchman Johan Cruyff, like Guardiola a former Barca playing great, has 11.

Messi got 53 goals last season, including one in the 3-1 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League final, and the Argentina forward now has four in just three games to start the new campaign.

The teams strode on to the field with Barcelona captain Xavi Hernandez carrying the giant-handled Champions League trophy and Porto goalkeeper Helton bearing the heavier Europa League silverware in his arms.

On a typically humid Monaco evening, Barcelona seemed more weighed down by the heavy air early on as Porto set about denying the Spanish side space.

Joao Moutinho brought the first save from Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes in the seventh minute with a curling right-foot shot.

Three minutes later, Barcelona’s Pedro Rodriguez was left clear in space by a sliced clearance but his volleyed lob was too high.

Porto then began a short period of dominating play, and big forward Hulk fired a sweeping left-footed shot flashing across the Barcelona goalmouth.

Copying a page from their opponents’ playbook, Porto pressed further up the field, cutting off supply lines from Barcelona defenders to their meticulous passing midfielders.

Meanwhile the young, sharp-dressed managers Guardiola and Vitor Pereira paced their technical areas with sleek style, but Pereira became more agitated midway through the half as Barcelona shook off the shackles.

Messi sparked into life, skipping over three challenges before his attempted pass into David Villa’s stride was stopped by defender Cristian Sapunaru’s stretching block.

Xavi tested Porto keeper Helton for the first time in the 37th minute, hitting a rising shot that was tipped over the crossbar.

Two minutes later, Messi took advantage of Guarin’s slack pass, as the Colombian midfielder simply did not seem to see him trailing 10 meters (yards) behind the play after a Barcelona attack broke down.

Messi clinically exploited the lapse to score his first European Super Cup goal, completing the set of every major club competition he has played in. He has also scored in the Spanish league, Spanish cup, Champions League, Spanish Super Cup and Club World Cup.

Barcelona went in at the break having enjoyed 70 percent of possession, despite Porto’s early flourish.

Porto started the second half strongly and soon forced two more saves from Valdes diving to his left. Moutinho sliced a left-footed effort from the edge of the penalty area, then Guarin drove powerfully from 35 meters (yards).

Helton kept his side in the contest in the 57th, diving to smother a low shot from Villa who was played in by Andres Iniesta.

The Brazilian keeper reacted sharply minutes later to deny Pedro, who had collected a perfect pass from Messi on a breakaway.

Villa was substituted for Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean winger signed for ?26 million ($37 million) from Udinese in the offseason.

Barcelona’s other expensive new boy, former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, came on for the final 10 minutes and he took advantage of the extra space following Rolando’s dismissal to finish off Messi’s floated cross from the right wing.

Lineups:

Barcelona: Victor Valdes, Dani Alves, Javier Mascherano, Eric Abidal, Adriano (Sergio Busquets, 63), Xavi Hernandez, Seydou Keita, Andres Iniesta, Pedro Rodriguez (Cesc Fabregas, 80), Lionel Messi, David Villa (Alexis Sanchez, 61).

FC Porto: Helton, Cristian Sapunaru, Rolando, Nicolas Otamendi, Jorge Fucile, Freddy Guarin, Joao Moutinho, Souza (Fernando, 77), Cristian Rodriguez (Silvestre Varela, 69), Hulk, Kleber (Fernando Belluschi, 77).