© EuroFootball.com
"Barcelona" suffered a surprising defeat in the second round of the Spanish championship, losing 0-2 to the newcomer "Hercules" in front of their own fans.
These were the first points earned by the away team this season.
Although the Catalans initially had the upper hand, in the 26th minute, "Hercules" unexpectedly took the lead when Nelson Valdez scored a goal in his debut for the team.
In the second half, the Paraguayan doubled the newcomers' advantage, and the persistent "Barcelona" was ineffective.
Lionel Messi, Pedro, David Villa, and others had their attempts thwarted by the impressive goalkeeper Juan Calatuyudas, and the home team's coach Pep Guardiola will likely regret his decision to save Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol, Dani Alves, and Xavi on the bench.
Madrid's "Real" secured their first victory with a narrow 1-0 win over "Osasuna". The only goal was scored by the rarely scoring center-back Ricardo Carvalho.
The hosts dominated on the field but failed to secure the victory with a second goal. Nevertheless, Jose Mourinho's team earned their fourth point and surpassed their fiercest competitor, "Barcelona," who has three points.
Results:
"Barcelona" 0 - 2 "Hercules" 27' [0 - 1] Nelson Valdez 59' [0 - 2] Nelson Valdez
"Valencia" 1 - 0 Santander "Racing" 45' [1 - 0] Hedwiges Maduro
Madrid "Real" 1 - 0 "Osasuna" 48' [1 - 0] Ricardo Carvalho
Bilbao "Athletic" 1 - 2 Madrid "Atletico" 12' [0 - 1] Diego Forlan 81' [0 - 2] Tiago 88' [1 - 2] Fernando Llorente
Highlights from the matches:
"Barcelona" - "Hercules"
"Real" - "Osasuna"
"Valencia" - "Racing"
